CIHM 
Microfiche 
Series 
(Monographs) 


ICIVIH 

Collection  de 
microfiches 
(monographies) 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  institut  canadien  de  microreproductions  historiques 


1999 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  techn'nues  et  bibliographiques 


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□    Covers  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
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n 


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D 


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0 


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la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
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symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


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required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc..  peuvent  dtre 
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Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  etre 
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et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n6cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


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FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


By  EDWARD  A.  STEINER 

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From  Alii:n  to  Citizen 

The  Story  of  My  Life  in  America. 

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AND  Flow 

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1  HE  Mediator 

A  Tale  of  the  Old  World  and  the  New 

^'°"" •, -t5..as 

I  OLSTOY.THE  MaN  AND  HiS  MESSAGE 
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I 


1  . 

I' 


I' ROM   ALIKN 
TO     CITIZKN 

THE  STORY  Of   Mr 
LI  IT    /A'     IMhlULA 


EDWARD  A.  STEINKR 
ULVSTR^TEl) 


Ik 


'"e-Min^     H      Revell     Company 


>*  !)  O  .V 


A  N  i;, 


r  L'l  tiu  i;  R  o  M 


■mint ' 


.'^■^'^'^</'.\ 


FROM  ALIEN 
TO     CITIZEN 

THE  STORY  OF  MY 
LIFE  IN  AMERICA 


EDWARD  A.  STEINER 

Prof„„r  in  GrinntU  ColUgt,  ImM 
tlLUSTRJTED 


N«w  Yo»K 


Chicago        Toromto 

Fleming    H.     Rcvcll     Company       i 

LolfDOM  AHD  EdIMBUROH  I 


Copyright,  19 14,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  T'ork:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  123  North  Wabash  Ave. 
Toronto:  as  Richmond  Street,  W. 
London :  31  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:      100    Princes    Street 


TO 

inp  ^elobeH  Ctiilbren 

Gretchcn   Henrietta 

Henry  York  ( whom  God  caUed  home) 

Richard  Morrow 

9  bebicate  tf^in  l^oofc 

in  the  hope  that  those  remain- 
ing will  help  repay  the  debt  I 
owe  to  my  adopted  country 


I 

II 
III 

IV 


VI 
VII 

VIII 
IX 
X 
XI 
XII 
XIII 
XIV 
XV 
XVI 
XVII 
XVIII 
XIX 


CONTENTS 

Preface 

Prophecy  and  Fulfilment      .       .  19 

The  Comparative  Steerage     .       .  27 

The  Voyage  in  a  "  Nutshell  "      .  37 

The  Last  Landing  and  the  First  45 
LuuKiNG  for  Work  and  the  First 

Sunday c-t 

In  the  Sweat  Shop  ....  63 
Learning    English   and   Going  to 

Princeton -^ 

An  Involuntary  Tolstoyan     .       81 

Westward  Ko!     .  n^ 

'       '       *       ■       -^ 
Pittsburgh  Then  and  Now     .       .     loi 

Justified  Faith ^2 

In  Darkest  Pittsburgh     ,       .       .122 

From  Steel  to  Coal    ....     129 

Ihe  Criminal  Immigrant        .       .     138 

How  Tr.\mps  Are  Made     .       .       .151 

The  Gate  into  Chicago     .       .       .161 

Among  the  Bohemians     ...     169 

The  Great  Harvest  Fields      .       .     177 

Mine  No.  3 jgg 

7 


ttJ-.l3i(£e. 


8 

XX 

XXI 

XXII 

XXIII 

XXIV 

XXV 

XXVI 

XXVII 

XXVIII 

XXIX 
XXX 


CONTENTS 

An  Irish  Providence 

A  Turning  Point 

The  School  of  the  Rabbis 

The  School  of  the  Prophets 

From  Alien  to  Citizen 

IMy  First  Parish 

'  *  • 

The  Lower  Town  Church 
The  Lower  Town  Parsonage  . 
The  Church  of  the  Three  Prob 

LEMS      . 

The  Magic  Watch 

The  Chair  of  Applied  Christianity 


199 

209 
220 
231 

243 

253 
264 
279 

292 

303 
318 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

r  Act  MO 

Edward  A.  Steiner Tj^ 

My  Mother 20 

The  Market  Place  ) 

The  Synagogue      )          ^^ 

Immigrants  Taking  the  Train     ....  28 

Dining-Room    in    the    Hamburg-American 
Model  Village 

Slovak  Immigrants .^ 

Leon  Tolstoy o 

Mine  No.  3 ^gg 

During  Seminary  Days 2^ 

A  Corner  in  Our  Library 280 

During  the  First  Years  m  Grinnell     ...  318 

A  Glimpse  into  Our  Dining-Room  ) 

A  View  of  the  Study                      )      •     •  330 


PREFACE 


SOME  TIME  ago,  I  met  a  distinguished  visi- 
tor to   this   country — His    Excellency   the 
Minister  of  Public  Instruction  of  Hungary, 
and  had  the  pleasure  of  being  his  Cicerone  when 
he  visited  the  schools  and  settlements  of  Chicago. 

Passing  through  the  business  section  of  that 
city,  he  saw  its  sky-scrapers,  erected  without 
rhyme  or  reason,  and  his  ears  were  assaulted  by 
the  thunderous  noise  of  the  elevated  railroad.  As 
his  eyes  involuntarily  focussed  upon  the  headlines 
of  a  newspaper  which  some  one  was  reading  about 
a  block  ahead,  he  said  something  in  his  native 
language,  which,  when  mildly  translated,  means: 
beastly  vulgar. 

His  polite  reserve  once  broken,  he  let  loose  a 

tirade  against  the  United  States  in  general,  and 

Chicago  in  particular.     He  asked  me  to  compare 

the  city  of  Buda-Pesth  with  its  harmonious  and 

distinctive  architecture,  its  centres  of  civic  beauty, 

its  magnificent  and  ceaselessly  busy  river  banks, 

spanned  by  monumental  bridges,— with  Chicago's 

congested  mass  of  heterogeneous,  inharmonious 

11 


^*  PREFACE 

buildings,  its  muddy  river's  untidy,  sooty  shores, 
and  its  antiquated,  dilapidated  bridges. 

A  polite  silence  is  all  one  can  allow  oneself  in 
the  presence  of  one's  foreign  guest,  especially  if  he 
happens  to  be  "  His  Excellency,  the  Minster  of 
Public  Instruction." 

We  crossed  the  Chicago  River  and  walked 
through  miles  of  monotonous,  dirty  streets;  we 
struggled  through  crowds  of  unpicturesque  'for- 
eigners.  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  earth,  and 
the  sights  and  sounds  and  smells  which  "His 
Excellency  "  had  to  endure  were  not  calculated  to 
change  his  first  impression. 

After  we  had  visited  a  number  of  the  public 
schools,  however,  his  attitude  of  mind  seemed  less 
antagonistic;  although  while  listening  to  a  debate 
on  "  The  Initiative  and  The  Referendum  "  in  one 
of  the  graded  schools,  he  declared  that  those  chil- 
dren  were  being  trained  to  be  revolutionists     He 
further  confided  to  me  that  in  his  country,  such 
a  school  would  be  razed  to  the  ground,  and  the 
teachers  who  encouraged  such  a  discussion  sent 
to  prison. 

In  the  evening  we  visited  the  settlements.    He 
was  greatly  interested  in  the  friendly,  free  service 
rendered  to  the  unfortunate,  and  was  fascinated 
by  the  bright  and  efficient  women  whom  he  met 
In  one  settlement  he  was  attracted  by  a  basket- 


PREFACE  ]8 

ball  game  which  was  being  played  in  the  gym- 
nasium. He  marvelled  at  the  swiftness  of  the 
game,  the  perfect  poses  of  the  contestants,  their 
sure  aim,  and  the  good-natured  banter  between 
the  audience  and  the  players. 

When  it  was  all  over  he  forgot  for  a  moment 
his  offended  good  taste,  and  astonished  me  greatly, 
but  himself  more,  by  involuntarily  joining  in  the 
cheering. 

Then  he  said:  "  Of  course  these  yoimg  men  are 
native  Americans." 

With  perfect  assurance  I  replied:  "  There  is  not 
an  American  among  them.  The  losing  team  is 
made  up  of  Slavs  from  the  Stock  Yards  district, 
and  the  winners  are  Jews  from  the  neighbourhood 
of  i2th  and  Halstead  streets." 

He  shook  his  head,  doubting  my  statement;  so, 
to  prove  my  assertion.  I  called  one  of  the  players 
and  asked  him  his  name.  He  gave  it  to  me  in  its 
Anglicized  form,  with  a  great  many  letters  miss- 
ing 

^'  Where  were  you  bom?  "  I  asked  him. 

"In  the  Old  Country,  of  course." 

"  What  country  ?  " 

"  Hungary." 

"  Now.  my  boy,"  I  said.  "  I  want  you  to  meet 
His  Excellency,  the  Minister  of  Public  Instruction 
of  your  own  country !  " 


14 


PREFACE 


^^  With  perfect  democratic  dignity,  the  boy  shook 
H.s  Excellency's  "  reluctant  hand,  saying  heart- 
>Iy:  "  I  am  giad  to  meet  you,  Minister;  how  do 
you  like  Chicago?" 

It  took  •'  His  Excellency  "  some  minutes  to  re- 
cover from  the  shock.     Then  he  said  to  me  in 
tragic  tones:  "  It  is  impossible!    This  boy  belongs 
to  the  lowest  of  our  subject  races.    We  have  ruled 
them  for  nine  hundred  years,  but  have  not  really 
conquered  them.     We  have  forced  our  language 
upon  tliem  and  they  have  refused  to  speak  if  we 
have  forbidden  the  use  of  their  mother  tongue  in 
the  higher  schools,  yet  they  never  forget  it   and 
with   each    year,   they   become   more   and   more 
Slavonic.    You  take  our  refuse,  our  lowest  classes 
and  in  a  generation  you  make  Americans  of  them' 
How  do  you  do  it?" 

^^  "Ah!  your  Excellency,"  I  replied,  with  a  smile- 
that  IS  our  Art,  and  in  it,  we  are  not  quite  so 
'  beastly  vulgar.' " 

How  do  we  do  it?  Perhaps  the  question  would 
be  better  put  by  asking:  How  does  it  happen > 
Much  of  the  process  is  planless,  involuntary,  even 
automatic,  a  natural  result  of  this  New  World 
environment.  I  have  been  fortunate,  not  only  in 
watching  the  process  and  trying  to  analyse  the 
forces  at  work,  but  in  being  myself  a  product  of 
It.     As  such,  this  record  of  my  life  in  America 


PREFACE  IS 

may  be  of  value;  for  in  part,  at  least,  it  answers 
"  His  Excellency's  "  question. 

My    story    diflfers    from    others     in    that    I 
came    here  somewhat    past    the  most    formative 
period    of   life,    that    the    changes    which    have 
taken    place    within    me   are   most    radical,    and 
practically  all  the  forces  which  are  ai  work,  both 
for  good  and  evil,  became  operative  in  my  case. 
The  sweat  shop,  the  mills  and  mines  with  their 
grinding  labour,  the  lower  courts,  the  jail,  the  open 
road  with  its  dangers,  the  American  home,  and  the 
Christian  Church.    If  mine  were  an  unusual  case 
this  record  would  not  be  worth  the  making.    I  am 
but  a  type,  exceptional  only,  as  my  individuality 
differs  from  that  of  others.    I  may  have  had  more 
resistance  towards  some  of  these  forces,  and  been 
more  easily  influenced  by  others. 

On  the  whole,  that  which  happened  to  me  has 
happened— is  happening— to  others;  and  while  the 
results  may  not  be  as  advantageous  to  many,  the 
changes  wrought  have  been  quite  as  momentous. 
Wherever  the   newer   immigrant  has  gone,   I 
have  been  pleading  that  he  may  get  that   fair 
chance,  that  contact  with  the  vital  forces  of  our 
New  World  civilization,  which  proved  so  effica- 
aous  in  my  own  case.    I  have  spoken  from  thou- 
sands of  platforms,  and  in  nearly  every  place, 
some  individual,  whose  history  was  identical  with 


16 


PREFACE 


my  own.  has  come  to  my  attention ;  some  one  who, 
like  myself,  had  felt  the  pangs  of  this  new  birth, 
and  who,  with  me,  gloried  and  joyed  in  the  new 
life. 

I  am  bound  to  hundreds  of  such  individuals, 
who  represent  most  of  the  non-Teutonic  races  and 
nationalities,  and  who,  by  virtue  of  the  fact  that 
we  were  born  out  of  the  same  womb,  with  the 
same  pangs  and  pains,  have  become  brothers  and 
sisters,  united  in  a  passionate  love  for  our  new 
mother  country, 

I  have  been  more  fortunate  than  most  of  them, 
in  being  able  to  tell  the  story  of  this  new  birth,  a 
story  which  can  not  be  told  too  frequently. 

There  are  millions  who  have  never  been  able  to 
press  through  the  throng,  and  touch  the  hem  of 
some  healing  garment;  millions  who  are  brutal- 
ized by  hard  labour  and  starved  for  want  of  that 
sympathy  which  fed.  and  nourished,  and  developed 
me.  There  are  countless  ones  who  live  and  die, 
without  knowing  that  America  is  not  a  step^ 
mother,  who  grudges  us  our  wage  and  cares  only 
for  our  brute  strength. 

This  making  a  record  of  one's  life  is  not  an 
easy  or  a  pleasant  task.  I  have  always  shrunk 
from  it,  especially  as  it  required  the  laying  bare  o£ 
my  soul,  and  the  analysis  of  those  forces  which 
touched  my  religious  life. 


flfe^&is 


PREFACE 


17 


This  book  was  not  written  to  increase  prejudice, 
but  rather  to  allay  it;  it  is  not  a  call  to  a  new 
propaganda  but  to  a  new  spirit. 

If  it  stimulates  that  faith  in  humanity  which 
is  the  finest  inheritance  of  the  American  people; 
if  my  readers  learn  to  see  in  the  alien  the 
potential  fellow  citizen,  and  treat  him  as  such;  if 
m  any  degree,  I  have  answered  "  His  Excel- 
lency's "  question  as  to  "  How  we  do  it  ";  more  es- 
pecially, if  this  record  teaches  some  one  How  not 
to  do  it,  I  shall  rejoice  to  have  written  this  book; 

even  though  the  writing  involved  great  struede 

and  stress. 

Gkinnell,  Iowa.  ^'  ^-  ^- 


PROPHECY  AND  FULFILMENT 

IT  seems  so  long  ago  that  I  might  almost  say : 
'  Once  upon  a  time  "—an  Italian  came  to  our 
town  with  a  grind-organ,  a  monkey,  and  a 
parrot.  The  grind-organ  and  the  monkey  per- 
formed for  rich  and  poor  alike,  but  only  the  lucky 
owner  of  a  certain  number  of  kreutcers  could 
arouse  the  parrot,  which,  with  eyes  shut,  sat  upon 
his  perch  while  the  organ  played  and  the  monkey 
performed.  No  doubt  the  parrot  was  trying  to 
forget  this  wretched  company,  and  was  dreaming 
of  the  far-off  paradise  which  once  was  his. 

Now  kreutzers.  the  small  coin  of  our  realm 
were  rather  rare  in  the  pockets  of  little  boys' 
Inasmuch  as  the  parrot  was  announced  to  be  a 
celebrated  fortune-teller  I  wanted  to  prove  him; 
so  I  teased  my  dear  mother  just  long  enough  to 
get  the  coveted  number  of  coins. 

With  an  air  of  great  importance  I  pushed 
through  the  crowd  which  encircled  the  Italian  and 
the  eyes  of  the  multitude  were  upon  me.  At  least 
I  thought  they  were,  although  in  reality  they  were 
fixed  on  the  parrot ;  for  there  had  been  long  dispute 

1» 


20 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


as  to  whether  he  was  aHvc  or  not.  His  master 
took  my  money  and  struck  the  perch  upon  which 
the  bird  sat  immovable,  with  eyes  shut.  Quiz- 
zically it  cocked  its  head,  looked  at  tlic  promised 
reward  in  the  hand  of  its  trainer,  then  majestically 
descended,  drew  an  envelope  out  of  a  row,  which 
no  doubt  held  the  fate  of  all  youths  of  my  age, 
and  dropped  it  -ipon  the  little  table.  Thus  my 
fortune  was  told,  and  my  fate  sealed. 

The  crowd  urged  me  to  open  it,  but  I  ran  home 
as  fast  as  I  could,  reading  as  I  ran.  Even  before 
the  house  was  reached  I  cried  out  breathlessly: 
"  Mother,  I  am  going  to  America,  and  I  am  going 
to  marry  a  rich  wife." 

"  I  told  you,"  said  the  dear  mother,  with  a  smile 
which  concealed  a  tear,  "  you  would  waste  your 
money.  You  will  stay  at  home  with  your  widowed 
mother  and  be  her  solace  in  her  old  age." 

Then  she  took  me  out  into  the  garden  under  the 
big  pear  tree,  and  showed  me  the  boundaries  of 
our  small  estate :  the  poppy  field,  the  cabbage  patch, 
the  prune  trees — all  the  land  from  the  pottock,  the 
creek,  to  the  edge  of  the  dusty  highway. 

"  This,"  she  said,  "  will  be  yours,  my  son,  and 
you  will  get  a  good,  pious  wife  right  here,  ra*her 
than  to  go  among  the  Indians  and  marry  a  wild 
woman." 

In  spite  of  the  allurements  offered,  my  imagina- 


m 


3^ 


PUOPHECY  ANT)  FULFILMENT        21 

tion  was  fired  by  the  parrot's  prophecy,  and  that 
evening  I  sought  out  my  teacher  and  asked  him 
how  to  go  to  America. 

"  It  is  so  far,  my  boy,"  he  said,  "  that  you  will 
neve-  reach  there.  It  is  one  day  by  the  omnibus, 
four  days  and  nights  by  the  railroad,  and  then 
across  the  yam — the  great  sea— for  fourteen  days. 
"  A  ship,"  he  continued,  "  does  not  go  like  the 
omnibus,  but  like  a  nutshell  on  the  pottock,  and 
you  may  at  any  moment  be  spilled  over  and  eaten 
by  the  fish." 

Then  he  took  me  by  my  shock  of  curly  hair  and 
shook  me,  saying: 

"  The  fish  in  the  great  yam  are  especially  fond 
of  curly-headed  boys;  so  you  run  home  and  learn 
your  multiplication  table  and  don't  forget  that 
seven  times  nine  are  sixty-three." 

Seven  times  nine  was  my  stumbling  block.  I 
went  home,  not  to  study  my  multiplication  table, 
but  to  dream  about  the  parrot  and  America  and 
the  rich  young  lady  waiting  for  me  beyond  the 
great  yam.  I  was  fully  determined  to  go  there, 
even  at  the  risk  of  being  spilled  and  eaten  by  the 
fish. 

Before  I  was  seven  years  of  age  I  saw  a  man 
who  had  been  across  that  dreadful  water.  He 
came  crawling  out  of  the  omnibus,  only  three- 
quarters  of  a  man.  returning  from  a  land  where. 


22  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

after  fighting  in  many  a  battle,  he  had  left  an 
arm  and  a  leg  to  mingle  with  the  dujt  of  that  far- 
off  country. 

He  brought  with  him  a  thirst  for  liquor,  some 
strange  oaths  and  love  and  veneration  for  a  man 
whom  he  called  Father  Abraham.  He  left  me  that 
man's  picture  when  he  died,  and  it  strengthened 
my  desire  to  go  to  the  land  where  a  man  whose 
name  was  Abraham  could  span  the  gulf  between  a 
log  cabin  and  the  White  House. 

One  day  when  the  rabbi  was  expounding  doc- 
trine, I  gathered  the  boys  in  the  synagogue  yard 
and  tried  to  incite  them  to  a  conspiracy  against  the 
cruel  government,  which  exacted  heavy  taxes  from 
the  peasants.  I  wanted  to  do  what  Father  Abra- 
ham had  done— emancipate  the  poor  wretches. 
The  watchful  beadle,  however,  came  tiptoeing  be- 
hind the  truant  lads,  saved  the  Austro-Hungarian 
Government  from  overthrow  and  gave  me  such  a 
whack  over  my  left  ear  that  it  still  sings  from  pain 
and  pleasure  as  I  recall  the  incident.  I  was  led 
ignominiously  back  into  the  synagogue,  just  in 
time  to  hear  the  rabbi  turn  an  intellectual  somer- 
sault upon  the  dot  of  a  letter  which  seemed  to  him 
of  tremendous  importance. 

Again  the  parrot's  prophecy  seemed  to  be  near- 
ing  fulfilment  when  a  whole  family  came  back 
to  our  town,  having  crossed  the  big  yam  without 


PROPHECY  AND  FULFILMENT        «3 

being  spilled  and  eaten  by  the  fish.  I  fell 
desperately  in  love  with  the  daughter,  three 
years  my  senior.  The  father's  health  had 
in  some  way  suffered  from  his  police  record  in 
an  Illinois  city  and  he  and  his  family  were  going 
back  recuperated,  when  the  tide  of  politics  turned 
in  his  favour. 

When  they  left  for  America  I  clung  to  the  omni- 
bus which  carried  them  away,  my  love  making 
me  fearless  of  ocean  and  fish,  but  I  was  sent  back 
shortly  after  the  omnibus  had  passed  the  toll-gate. 
Of  course  I  was  heartbroken,  and  my  tears  were 
very  hot.  My  older  brother  soothed  my  pain  by 
applying  his  hand  in  punishment. 

I  ran  away  once  more,  that  time  with  a  half- 
witted boy,  and  had  gone  as  far  as  the  railroad 
when  the  same  brother  overtook  me  and  brought 
me  home,  repentant,  half -starved  and  homesick, 
for  I  had  been  thrown  into  jail  with  gipsies, 
thieves  and  vagabonds. 

So  far  my  eflForts  to  assist  in  bringing  to  pass 
the  parrot's  prophecy  were  of  no  avail,  but  long, 
long  after  this,  my  boyhood  outgrown,  a  part  of 
it  was  to  be  fulfilled. 

One  day  when  I  was  at  home  during  the  Pen- 
tecostal vacation  after  a  severe  examination  pe- 
riod, a  copyist  from  the  judge's  office  came  to  my 
mother  and  told  her  that  for  a  certain  sum  he 


24* 


FROM  ALIEN  10  CITIZEN 


would  reveal  to  her  an  official  secret,  which  would 
save  me  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  venge- 
ful government.     Lest  my   readers   think  that   I 
had  been  guilty  of  something  very  base,  I  shall 
here  reveal  the  secret  which  he  was  ready  to  sell. 
In  the  part  of  the  world  where  I  lived  there 
were,  as  everywhere,  the  rulers  and  the  ruled,  the 
oppressors  and  the  oppressed;  viz..  the  Magyars 
and  the  Slovaks.    Tiie  Slovaks  are  a  branch  of  the 
Czecho-Slavic  group  of  the  Slav  family  and  live 
in  the  cresc-it-shaped  Carpathians.     Toward  the 
East  they  merge  into  the  Polish  and  toward  the 
North  into  the  Czechish  groups.    They  have  never 
been  strong  enough  to  gain  national  independence, 
although  once  there  was  a  Slovak  Kingdom  and 
they  cherish  the  memory  of  a  great  king  whose 
name  was  Svatopluk.     The  warlike  Huns  easily 
subjugated  these  agricultural  Slavs  and  they  re- 
mained an  unawakened,  half  stupid,  servile  race. 
For  that  very  reason  I  made  their  cause  my  own. 
My  natural  feeling  for  the  oppressed  was  inten- 
sified by  the  fact  that  in  .spite  of  their  many  faults 
they  were  a  lovable  people.     I  grew  up  among 
them,  playing  my  first  games  with  Slovak  boys; 
they  taught  me  the  mysteries  of  fashioning  willow 
twigs  into  whistles  and  how  to  wind  Corbatshy, 
whips,  that  were  used  during  Easter  week  to  com- 
memorate the  scourging  of  the  Lord.     I  spent 


u 

u 


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J] 

'J 
< 
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H 

:^ 

ac 
< 


9^ 


f-l 


I'HOPIIIU  V  AND  FT'LFILMENT        25 

many  glorious  hours  in  their  dirty  ishas,  listening 

0  folk  tales,  and  I  knew  iL.eir  language  before  I 
knew  any  other. 

Perhaps  the  fact  that  I  had  a  Slovak  nurse  and 
that  I  was  vaccinated  with  virus  taken  from  the 
arm  of  a  Slovak  hoy.  whon,  I  called  my  brother 
by  vaccmati.n,  made  me  feel  kin  ,0  these  Gen- 
t'Jes.  I  also  had  various  boyhood  love  afTairs 
amonp  the  Slovak  girls  and  was  especially  devoted 

to  the  nnllers  daughter,  whose  pathetic  death  im- 
pressed me  very  much  and  made  me  feel  my  one- 
ness witli  those  people  in  their  suffering 

My  f^rst  holy  off.ce  in  any  church  was  per- 
formed when  I  helped  the  Slovak  bovs  ring  the 
church  bells.  From  their  respective  bell  tolers 
I  heard  the  solemn  Lutheran  songs  and  saw 
the  holy  mass  performed  by  Roman  Catholic 
priests. 

1  also  saw  these  Slovaks  flogged  in  the  court- 
yard, clapped  into  prison  for  .light  offences,  and 
their  wues  and  daughters  insulted  by  Ma^-ar 
officials.  ^- 

I  sensed  their  wrongs  in  my  childhood  and  felt 
them  keenly  as  I  grew  into  manhood,  especially 
after  I  came  m  touch  with  the  revolutionary  litera- 
ture of  that  period.  I  think  that  most  boys  pass 
through  some  such  heroic  stage  where  the  thotlght 
of  martyrdom  seems  like  wine  m  thp.>  M.-..-..1      ^ 


2G 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


was  at  that  age  and  committed  many  a  senseless 
indiscretion. 

I  am  fairly  sure  I  was  liable  to  a  reprimand  or 
a  slight  punishment,  and  that  the  shrewd  copyist 
played  on  the  fears  of  a  Jewish  mother  who  loved 
her  boy  and  feared  the  law.  Before  I  knew  it  I 
was  on  my  way  to  America,  the  copyist  promising 
to  hold  the  secret  till  I  should  be  safe  across  the 
border. 

This  is  as  near  as  I  ever  came  to  becoming  a 
political  offender,  and  no  doubt  the  Hungarian 
Government  has  forgotten  the  episode. 

Within  three  days  of  my  leaving  home  I  was 
on  the  big  yam,  the  ship  did  act  like  a  nutshell 
on  the  pottock  and  the  law  of  gravitafion  seemed 
to  have  ceased  functioning  so  far  as  my  digestive 
organs  were  concerned  I  wished  many  a  time 
that  I  had  left  the  parrot  dreaming  on  his  perch 
instead  of  waking  him  to  prophesy  for  me  so 
awful  a  fate. 


II 

THE  COMPARATIVE   STEERAGE 

WHEN  one  makes  haste  to  be  gone,  the 
regrets    and    the    homesickness   are    de- 
ferred;  so    it    was   not    until   the   well- 
known  countries  and  cities  through  which  I  passed 
revived  memories,  bitter  and  sweet,  that  I  realized 
I  was  leaving  all  I  held  dear. 

For  a  score  of  years  and  more  I  have  frequently 
travelled  this  same  route,  each  time  with  new  expe- 
riences and  new  emotions ;  yet  no  sensations  quite 
equal  those  I  felt  vhen  a  fugitive,  sever-ng  myself 
from  home,  from  my  past  and  from  my  people. 

I  recalled  my  first  trip  on  a  railroad  when  I 
was  four  years  of  age.  The  torturing  ride  in  the 
omnibus  across  the  low  hills  of  the  Carpathians : 
the  long  wait  at  the  inn  where  horses  were 
changed,  the  journey  through  the  thick  forest, 
across  the  border  into  Austria,  where  we  took  the 
mixed  train  to  Vienna. 

I  recall  distinctly  that  I  hid  under  the  seat, 
frightened  by  the  noises,  that  the  telegraph  poles 
travelled  mysteriously  past  us,  and  that  the  con- 
ductor punched    our   tickets   with   a  contrivance 


28 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


which  looked  like  the  snuffers  we  used  on  our 
tallow  candles. 

How  terrible  the  Danube  loo'-'d  to  me  at  the 
tender  age  of  four — and  the  bridge  with  its  curves 
which  seemed  to  swallow  one  another  as  we  passed 
over  it;  the  brilliant  lights  of  the  city,  the  first 
sight  of  the  great  cathedral;  all  this  and  many 
other  wanderings  I  recalled.  How  in  later  years 
I  travelled  along  the  shores  of  the  Danube,  dream- 
ing the  great  dreams  of  youth;  again  crossing  it, 
going  into  the  bleak  East  to  sit  at  the  feet  of  a 
prophet,  who  was  to  reveal  to  me  the  meaning  of 
life,  and  whom  1  had  followed  but  afar  off. 

Then  Germany,  iry  intellectual  fatherland,  was, 
and  still  is.  full  of  memories,  for  I  crossed  the 
empire  afoot,  from  Dresden  to  Kiel  and  from 
Strassburg  to  Breslau.  Along  the  Rhine  I  had 
gone  afoot  and  awheel,  hungry  and  ■  jld  some- 
times, yet  revelling  in  its  beauty. 

By  the  Neckar  from  my  beloved  university, 
with  a  book  in  one  pocket,  a  modest  luncheon  in 
the  other,  and  in  my  heart  the  wealth  with  which 
the  good  God  has  dowered  me — the  power  of 
appreciation. 

Many  a  time  then  and  since  have  I  thanked  God 
for  this  one  boon  which  made  the  hills  and  the 
castles,  the  sky,  the  storied  past  and  '^e  power  of 
the  throbbing  present,   all   my  o'         dthough   I 


■n 

H 
< 
■J 


THE  COMPARATIVE  STEERAGE   29 

owned  not  a   foot  of  land  and   was  a  stranger, 
penniless  often  and  without  a  shelter. 

I  have  travelled  since  in  trains  dc  luxe  and  have 
slept  in  fine  hostelries  where  liveried  flunkies  do 
one's  bidding,  yet  I  shall  never  forget  a  night  in 
the  Hartz  mountains  when,  my  modest  allowance 
almost  gone,  I  slept  in  the  forest,  where  the  keep- 
er's  dogs  found  me.  I  stayed  in  the  forester's 
house  one  beautiful  day,  the  guest  of  the  rough 
but  kindly  man,  who  appreciated  my  search  for 
the  wealth  of  the  good  Lord  and  led  me  through 
His  forest  cathedrals. 

On  all  these  journeys,  so  many  that  I  cannot 
count  them,  I  have  come  in  touch  with  the  heart 
of  humanity  and  found  it  good.  Neither  Scho- 
penhauer nor  Nietzsche,  nor  my  Calvinistic  theol- 
ogy, nor  the  rebuffs  of  later  days,  nor  bitter  sor- 
row, nur  deep  suffering  have  weaned  me  from 
this  conviction,  begotten  of  experience. 

Often  in  these  later  days  when  I  have  preached 
the  one  message  I  have— the  inner  kinship  of  the 
human— when  I  have  declared  my  faith  in  brother- 
hood and  when  that  faith  was  challenged,  I  re- 
called  those  good  folk  on  the  Volga  and  the  Dny- 
per,  on  the  Danube,  the  Rhine  and  the  Neckar, 
and  later  on  the  Hudson,  the  Ohio  and  the  Mis- 
sissippi. In  humblest  huts  and  in  earth  caves  they 
lived;  they  who  never  did  me  evil,  hnt  3l\s.'=v= 


80  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

pointed  the  way,  shared  with  me  their  substance, 
would  take  no  pay  even  when  I  was  able  to  give 
it  and  asked  for  none  when  I  was  desperately  poor. 
In  pity,  sympathy  and  mutual  helpfulness  I  have 
found  no  difference  between  the  races  and  nations 
among  whom  I  have  wandered,  and  I  have  verified 
the  vision  of  the  prophet,  who  cried  from  some 
such  humble  place  as  mine : 

"  He  looketh  down  from  heaven, 
He  beholdeth  the  children  of  men, 
He  fashioneth  their  hearts  alike." 

On  that  sad  journey  to  America  this  was  the 
one  thought  which  buoyed  me.  Some  day  I  shall 
come  back  and  travel  over  these  paths  again  and, 
like  the  king  in  the  fairy  tale,  I  shall  richly  re- 
ward all  those  who  have  been  so  kind  to  me. 

Many  a  time  since,  I  have  visited  every  harbour 
from  which  emigrants  go  to  the  New  World.  I 
have  travelled  with  them  voluntarily  from  their 
homes  into  the  steerage,  as  I  then  travelled  from 
necessity,  and  I  found  no  bad  men  until  we  came 
to  the  places  where  we  were  merchandise — the 
stuff  to  be  exploited.  And  many  of  the  men  who 
seemed  to  know  least  about  mercy  were  the  men 
who  had  both  wealth  and  culture. 

Long  before  we  reached  Bremen,  where  for  the 


THE  COMPARATIVE  STEERAGE       31 

first  time  I  was  to  embark  for  America,  the  train 
was  boarded  by  runners,  who  tagged  us  to  make 
sure  of  their  prey.  The  region  near  the  railroad 
station  was  full  of  lodging  houses  whose  motto 
was  always  to  give  as  little  as  possible  and  get  as 
much  as  they  could.  Many  of  these  hmises  were 
tributary  to  the  sub-agent  or  agents.  The  profit 
was  not  only  from  the  fare,  but  from  our  board, 
so  it  was  to  the  advantage  of  somebody  to 
get  us  there  as  early  as  possible  and  keep  us 
long. 

I  am  sure  that  the  steamship  company  knew 
nothing  about  this,  and  wanted  to  know  nothing. 
It  is  only  in  the  last  two  or  three  years  that  the 
lodging  house  problem,  which  finally  became  a 
menace  to  the  health  of  the  city,  has  received  any 
kind  of  attention. 

At  the  lodging  house  I  was  told  all  sorts  of 
untruths  about  what  to  buy  and  how  to  prepare 
myself  for  the  ordeal  of  examination.  Eflforts 
were  made  to  frighten  me.  I  was  told  that  police 
supervision  was  so  strict  that  I  surely  would  be 
apprehended,  and  protection  was  ofltered  me  for 
a  sum  of  money. 

Neither  the  steamship  companies  nor  the  Ger- 
man Government,  nor,  in  fact,  any  but  the  Italian 
Government  has  made  the  slightest  effort  to  en- 
lighten the  steerage  passenger,  while  every  pes- 


ss 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


sible  means  has  been  used  to  separate  the  poor 
man  from  his  pittance. 

Although  in  recent  years  immigrant  stations 
which  are  well  conducted  have  been  erected  at 
various  ports,  in  many  of  them  men  are  encour- 
aged to  drink,  to  get  drunk  and  to  buy  things  for 
which  they  h'.ve  no  need. 

In  at  least  one  country,  government  officials 
have  drawn  heavy  revenues  from  the  steerage 
trade,  and  although  T  have  made  repeated  efforts 
to  have  this  pernicious  practice  stopped,  I  have 
accomplished  nothing  except  to  become  persona 
non  grata  at  a  number  of  ports. 

One  country,  and  that  is  Hungary,  under  the 
guise  of  patriotism,  has  paid  a  bonus  to  an  Eng- 
lish steamship  company,  which  has  used  the  most 
wretched  and  slowest  ships  on  its  line.  On  the 
very  day  of  embarkation  I  saw  one  of  these  ships 
taking  on  steerage  passengers  who  were  crowded 
into  filthy  quarters  amid  unspeakable  stenches, 
while  government  officials  were  regaled  with  food 
and  drink  in  the  cabin.  It  may  be  said  in  favour 
of  this  English  company  that  it  too  can  wash  its 
hands  in  innocency.  for  it  also  has  turned  this 
business  over  to  a  subsidiary  company,  so  that  its 
captains  may  read  prayers  with  a  clear  conscience. 

The  Hamburg-American  Line  does  the  most  for 
its  steerage  passengers  at  the  home  port.    Its  im- 


THE  COMPARATIVE  STEERAGE   S3 

migrant  station  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city  of 
Hamburg  is  a  model.  It  is  not  a  huge  barrack, 
like  the  one  at  Fiume,  but  a  model  village  or  city, 
walled  and  guarded. 

The  new  arrivals  come  in  one  way,  are  exam- 
ined, ticketed,  washed,  fumigated  and  fed.  li 
they  pass  muster  they  arc  permitted  to  go  into 
the  inner  quarters,  a  large  and  beautiful  inclosure 
with  a  Protestant  and  Roman  Catholic  church,  as 
well  as  a  synagogue.  There  is  an  hotel  adjusted 
to  modest  or  more  pretentious  needs.  A  brass 
band  plays  the  tunes  of  different  fatherlands  every 
afternoon.  One  might  call  this  station  al- 
most perfect,  and  yet  it  has  not  quite  convinced 
me ;  for  I  saw  it  once  as  a  steerage  passenger  and 
again  as  an  accredited  investigator,  and  the  dif- 
ference I  noted  makes  me  feel  that  this  company 
is  shrewd,  very  shrewd  indeed.  Its  officials  are 
most  loyal  to  it  and  are  trained  for  that  ser\'ice. 
This  company  deals  with  the  steerage  passengers 
direct  and  gets  all  the  revenue. 

Steamship  companies,  although  they  seem  alike, 
have  for  me  a  distinct  personality.  If  I  were 
blindfolded  and  led  into  a  ship  I  could  tell  with 
which  company  I  am,  for  travelling  in  the  steerage 
has  become  a  habit  with  me,  and  sensing  condi- 
tions, second  nature. 

The    North    Germa:     Lloyd    is    rhe    aristocrat 


34 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


among  the  steamship  companies.  It  has  always 
catered  to  the  cabin,  but  it  has  a  conscience,  which 
led  it  to  farm  out  its  steerage  business,  and  the 
enticing,  the  grinding  and  fleecing  which  I  have 
witnessed  were  done  by  sub-agents,  presumably 
without  the  knowledge  of  the  company. 

Bremen  is  an  honest,  patrician  city  with  a  com- 
mercial aristocracy,  and  the  North  German  Lloyd 
reflects  the  city.  The  company  is  as  good  as  its 
word,  but  the  steerage  passengers  never  got  its 
word. 

Havre,  the  French  port,  was  until  lately  "  con- 
fusion worse  confounded."  I  had  the  courage  to 
travel  via  that  port  but  once  and  that  was  quite 
sufficient.  Repeated  criticisms  from  many  sources 
have  called  forth  from  the  company's  agents  fre- 
quent and  eloquent  denials;  so  what  is  the  use  of 
criticising  where  there  is  no  hope  of  reform? 

On  the  Holland  Line,  which  is  slow,  conserva- 
tive, brusque  and  humane,  I  know  every  steerage 
from  the  Staatendam,  just  out  of  commission,  to 
the  new  Rotterdam.  Once  under  the  care  of  the 
company  nothing  is  to  be  feared,  except  that  Dutch 
cleanliness  is  over-idealized  and  that  the  steerage 
often  holds  disillusionments. 

The  English  lines  are  uncompromisingly  Eng- 
lish— honest,  conservative  and  strict,  in  keeping  the 
steerage  passenger  in  his  place.    Travelling  in  the 


< 


J 
3 


'J 
2 


Li 


< 


V. 


1*: 


THE  COMPARATIVE  STEERAGE       ii5 

steerage  is  a  bit  of  English  lower  class  life  trans- 
ferred to  the  sea. 

I     recall    a     voyage     on     the     White     Star 
Liner,    Teutonic.      It   was   one   of    the   roughest 
I  ever  experienced.     The  steerage  was  crowded 
and    the    nine    days    at    sea    were    nine    days 
in  prison.    I  was  desperately  sick  and  several  times 
crawled  to  the  second-class  deck  for  air  and  shel- 
ter, but  invariably  I  was  driven  down  to  the  hold, 
into  the  unbearable  stenches.    No  steerage  passen- 
ger's foot  must  pollute  the  second-cabin  deck,  and 
it  is  as  impossible  for  a  second-class  passenger  to 
step  into  the  first  cabin  as  it  would  be  for  a  trades- 
man to  be  entertained  in  the  home  of  some  lord- 
ship—with one  exception.    On  Sunday  the  second 
cabin  may  go  to  prayers  in  the  first  cabin,  and 
that  too  is  typically  English. 

The  newer  lines  from  the  Mediterranean,  from 
Italy  and  Austria,  are  humane  and  decent.  Tlie 
former  because  the  government  compels  it,  the 
latter  because  its  chief  revenue  is  from  steerage 
business,  and  it  pays. 

On  the  whole,  however,  port  conditions  have 
grown  better  since  my  first  venture  across  the  sea. 
Many  agencies  watcl.  over  the  welfare  of  the 
immigrants.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  looks  especially 
after  young  men.  oflFers  advice  and  makes  vital 
connection  for  them  on  the  other  side.     Unfor- 


36 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


tunatcly  its  workers  are  few  and  some  lack  lin- 
guistic equipment,  altliough  they  make  that  up  in 
genuine  good  will. 

When  I  went  down  for  the  first  time  into  the 
steerage,  no  one  said  a  word  of  cheer,  no  one 
waved  farewell.  I  left  strangers  standing  on  the 
receding  wharf  and  I  was  among  eleven  hundred 
strangers.  I  was  going  to  a  land  full  of  strangers, 
and  when  I  reached  my  bunk  in  a  dark,  deep  corner 
of  the  hold,  something  which  felt  like  a  cold, 
icy  hand  gripped  my  heart.  When  the  ship  left 
its  mooring  I  felt  as  if  my  heartstrings  were  break- 
ing, and  I  stretched  out  my  hands  to  the  fast 
receding  shore,  as  if  to  grasp  the  loosened  cables. 

I  dimly  felt  what  it  meant,  but  I  did  not  realize 
how  new  was  the  life  which  awaited  me.  or  how 
coinplctely  I  was  being  severed  from  my  past  and 
my  former  self.  Neither  did  I  realize  how,  like 
the  shuttle  which  the  Master  Weaver  holds,  I 
should  be  thrown  back  and  forth  across  the  sea, 
nor  how  closely  my  whole  life  was  to  be  identified 
with  that  of  the  steerage. 


Ill 

THE  VOYAGE  IN  A  "NXTSHELL" 

ONE  can  always  locate  the  steerage  without 
a  chart,  and  there  is  no  problem  about 
finding  one's  cabin  or  berth,  no  anxiety 
as  to  deck  chairs,  or  the  question  of  first  or  second 
table.  The  odor  of  strong  disinfectants,  mingling 
with  that  of  various  vegetables,  the  smell  of  sheep- 
skin coats  and  of  booted  and  unbooted  feet,  the 
cries  of  many  children,  the  rough  answers  of 
sailors  and  stewards  and  the  babel  of  guttural 
languages  are  all  waymarks,  if  any  are  needed. 

When  one  has  slid  down  two  and  sometimes 
three  tiights  of  iron  stairs,  located  at  the  narrowest 
point  of  fore  or  aft,  and  sees  a  crowded  space 
which  may  hold  from  sixty  to  six  hundred  pas- 
sengers who  are  tucking  themselves  away  on  a 
series  of  narrow  shelves — then  he  is  in  the  steerage. 
It  is  his  first  business  to  find  a  vacant  bunk,  and 
having  found  it,  stake  it  by  placing  his  belongings 
there.  On  the  way  he  will  have  bestowed  upon 
him  various  tin  utensils  and  a  thin  gray  cotton 
blanket,  so  that  the  aforementioned  shelf  becomes 

his  dining-room,  dressing-room,  parlour  and  sleep- 

W 


11 


38 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


ing-rooni ;  unless  the  Fates  are  kind  and  the  Atlan- 
tic is  q'liet  enough  to  leave  a  dry  spot  somewhere 
on  the  narrow  margin  of  the  deck. 

The  faster  the  boat,  the  less  likely  is  he  to  find 
tliis  dry  spot,  for  the  prow  digs  itself  into  the  sea 
and  is  almost  inundated,  while  the  stern  is  so  taken 
up  by  machinery  and  hatchways  that  even  in  a 
moderate  sea  it  affords  no  comfort. 

The  food  is  served  d  la  mob.  A  bell  rings,  the 
crowd  rushes  with  its  tin  pails,  and  after  being 
pushed  and  jammed  the  prize  is  carried  off,  to  be 
eaten  if  possible. 

Certain  improvements  have  been  made  since  my 
first  journey.  Groups  are  organized  and  only  one 
man  out  of  six  or  ten  goes  after  the  food.  On 
the  English  lines  there  is  a  real  dining-room  with 
oilcloth  covered  tables,  and  there  are  steward?  who 
serve  one  in  human  fashion.  A  third  class  has 
been  created  on  some  of  the  German  ships,  where 
the  food  is  served  in  a  similar  way,  but  the 
steerage  survives  and  the  food  there  is  still  served 
a  la  mob. 

I  have  made  comparative  studies  of  the  different 
classes  and  have  found  that  although  the  steerage 
pays  a  third  as  much  on  an  average  as  the  mini- 
mum first  cabin  rate,  it  receives  less  than  one  per 
cent,  of  sheltered  deck,  a  trifle  more  than  that  of 
smoking  and  lounging  rooms,  not  ten  per  cent,  of 


THE  VOYAGE  IN  A  "  NUTSHELL  "     39 

food  value  and  nothing  in  the  way  of  courtesy  or 
civility.  And  yet  the  steerage  holds  a  luxury  which 
is  growing  rarer  and  rarer  in  the  cabin— good 
fellowship. 

The  Hamburg-American  Line  announces  private 
decks  for  passengers  on  its  new  gigantic  steamer, 
so  that  America's  passion  for  democracy  may  at 
last  be  satisfied.  It  will  be  edifying,  no  doubt,  to 
see  the  occupants  of  the  cabins  de  luxe  pacing  in 
solitary  confinement  upon  their  luxurious  private 
decks,  but  I  do  not  envy  them.  There  ^s  nothing 
more  precious  than  fellowship,  and  I  hold  as  my 
greatest  asset  the  wealth  of  contact  with  countless 
men  and  women  whose  lives  I  have  touched  and 
who  have  touched  mine. 

It  was  a  wonderful  group  which  I  gathered 
around  me  on  that  first  journey,  and  many  of  them 
are  still  my  friends,  although  they  have  climbed 
out  of  the  steerage  and  are  travelling  through  life 
in  cabins  of  various  grades. 

There  was  the  young  jeweller  from  Vienna,  a 
jolly,  thoughtless  lad,  who  had  lived  a  loose  sort 
of  life  and  was  disowned  by  his  family.  I  met 
him  years  after  when  he  was  working  for  $15  a 
week  and  lived  in  a  tenement  in  a  great  mid- 
Western  city.  I  watched  his  little  family  growing 
and  enjoyed  his  pride  in  it  and  his  endeavour  to 
get  on.    Now,  when  I  visit  him,  he  meets  me  at 


40 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


the  station  with  a  seven-passenger  automobile,  none 
too  large  for  his  flock. 

Then  there  was  the  butcher  from  Gotha  who 
prided  himself  on  his  skill  in  making  sausages;  a 
rough-hewn  fellow,  a  perfect  product  of  his  hard 
business.  His  cattle  now  graze  upon  a  thousand 
hills  and  his  daughter  graduated  last  year  from  a 
woman's  college  in  the  East. 

A  husky  Slovak  boy  bound  for  Streator,  111.,  to 
go  into  the  mines  has  "  made  good."  I  saw  him 
two  years  ago  when  I  lectured  in  that  city  He  is 
a  business  man  of  no  mean  ability  who  has  accu- 
mulated wealth. 

There  was  a  Bohemian  family  whom  my  readers 
must  meet  again.  A  widow  with  five  daugh- 
ters and  two  sons.  They  brought  with  them  into 
the  steerage,  written  in  their  hearts,  the  songs  of 
Bohemia.  As  they  sang  them  so  exquisitely,  the 
dingy  steerage  became  glorious  from  the  joy  of  it, 
and  the  mighty  engines  of  the  ship  seemed  to  play 
the  accompaniment. 

Besides  the  songs  they  had  Bohemian  goodies — 
boxes  and  baskets  full.  Occasionally  I  visit  them, 
near  South  Bend,  Ind..  and  I  ask  for  certain  cakes, 
whose  taste  has  lingered  upon  my  palate  through 
all  the  changing  years.  I  was  greatly  interested 
in  this  family;  more  especially  in  Anna  and  Lena, 
for  they  told  me  their  love  ivories,  perhaps  to  keep 


THE  VOYAGE  IX  A  "  NUTSHELL  "      41 


me  from  falling  in  love  with  them.  They  were 
both  broken-hearted,  but  they  have  got  bravely 
over  it,  for  when  the  members  of  that  family 
come  to  town  from  their  scattered  farms,  "  the 
few  have  become  a  thousand,  and  the  small  one  a 
strong  nation."  They  come  in  many  buggies,  and 
Anna's  and  Lena's  children  call  me  Uncle.  I  tell 
them  that  I  knew  their  mothers  before  they  knew 
them  and  they  always  wonder  how  that  is  possible. 

Every  steerage  has  some  one  who  makes  a  clown 
of  himself,  who  rejoices  in  playing  pranks  and 
does  not  become  angry  if  ilic  pranks  are  turned 
on  him.  This  one  had  such  a  clown  who  led  a 
jolly  crew  into  all  sorts  of  mischief,  and  out  of  it. 
Somewhere  he  had  obtained  a  hand-organ,  and 
what  a  delight  it  was!  He  led  us  in  marches, 
playing,  "  O  du  lieber  Augustine."  or  the  Radecsky 
March,  and  the  whole  steerage  had  to  follow. 
Those  who  did  not  go  willingly  were  forced  into 
the  merry  riot,  and  many  a  weary  day  passed  less 
wearily  because  of  his  jollity.  The  orderings  of 
Providence  seem  very  strange,  for  he  is  now  a 
prosperous  undertaker  in  Michigan. 

Of  course  there  were  days  when  every  man  was 
isolated,  for  there  is  at  least  one  misery  which  does 
not  "  love  company,"  the  misery  of  seasickness. 
There  were  strange,  awful  hours  when  the  waves 
came  thundering  over  the  deck  and  the  mighty 


I 

it 

I! 


4ft  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

^ind  played  among  the  rigging,  when  the  ship 
twisted  and  groaned  in  agony  and  we  thought 
every  moment  was  our  last.  There  was,  of  course, 
little  or  no  danger,  but  those  who  have  passed 
through  a  storm  at  sea  for  the  first  time  know 
something  of  how  the  heart  fails  within  one  even 
in  the  cabin;  but  in  the  steerage,  with  hatches 
down,  with  rattling  chains  and  shaking  beams  all 
around  and  water  coming  down  the  ventilators — 
the  fear  becomes  terror,  and  it  could  not  have  been 
greater  had  there  been  a  real  disaster. 

After  the  storm  there  came  calm  and  sunny 
days  when  gulls  circled  the  ship  and  rested  upon 
the  quiet  deep,  and  a  tiny  shore  bird,  driven  by  the 
wind,  sought  shelter  on  the  deck.  In  the  distance 
sails  glided  into  view  and  disappeared ;  a  long  line 
of  smoke  betrayed  the  presence  of  many  boats 
whose  routes  were  to  converge  at  the  great  port. 
The  pilot  came  on  board  and  we  passed  the  Fire 
Ship,  which  guards  the  channel.  Then  the  hours 
grew  hep.vy  and  the  morrow  loomed  with  its  uncer- 
tainty. 

It  dawned,  with  its  ozone-laden  air  and  azure 
sky,  and  in  the  far  distance  that  which  looked  like 
a  cloud  grew  clear  and  remained  immovable — 
land!  Then  the  rapture  of  it  struggled  with  the 
care  and  burden  and  rose  triumphantly  over  them. 

America !  we  were  in  the   nia^ic    holv  land-— 


'/) 

H 
2 

< 

as 

s 

> 
o 


I 


THE  VOYAGE  IN  A  "  NUTSHELL  "      4» 

America!  I  have  seen  this  rapture  and  felt  it;  I 
have  rejoiced  ir  it  when  others  felt  it,  and  I  want 
all  those  to  taste  it  who  come  and  come  again. 
Therefore,  I  have  gone  back  and  forth,  and  I 
should  like  to  go  unwearyingly  on  to  guide  men 
into  this  rapture  and  to  interpret  to  them  its 
meaning. 

I  should  like  the  entrance  into  the  United  States 
to  be  a  poem  to  all  who  come,  and  not  the  horrible 
tragedy  into  which  it  often  resolves  itself  when 
the  first  ecstasy  is  over.  All  the  way  across  the 
sea  I  would  make  of  every  ship  a  school,  with  such 
fair  comforts  as  men  are  entitled  to,  for  their 
money. 

I  should  like  to  teach  them  that  they  may  enter 
without  fear  and  without  uttering  a  lie,  so  that 
those  at  the  gate  might  know  that  these  new  comers 
are  human,  and  treat  them  as  such,  so  long  as 
they  conduct  themselves  properly. 

I  should  like  to  teach  the  strangers  that  there 
is  a  fair  reward  for  hard  struggle  and  an  honest 
living  wage  for  an  honest  day's  work.  Tliat  they 
must  guard  their  health  by  abstinence  from  intox- 
icating drink,  and  I  should  like  to  prohibit  its  sale 
on  board  of  ship  and  everywhere  else.  For  to  the 
immigrants,  the  ignorant  immigrants,  alcohol  is 
a  lying  curse.  They  believe  that  it  strengthens 
and  that  no  hard  labour  can  be  done  without  it. 


f^ 


44  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

I  should  like  to  tell  them  also  that  their  health 
will  be  guarded  in  mines  and  factories  and  that 
their  bodies  and  souls  have  value  to  man  and  to 
God. 

I  should  like  to  point  to  the  Goddess  of  Liberty 
and  say  that  4ie  welcomes  all  who  come  in  her 
name,  that  she  guarantees  freedom  to  all  who  obey 
law,  that  our  law  is  always  reasonable  and  that,  if 
it  is  a  burden,  it  falls  upon  the  shoulders  of  rich 
and  poor  alike. 

I  should  like  to  tell  them  that  they  have  nothing 
to  fear  in  this  country  except  tlieir  own  fraihies, 
that  there  are  no  barriers  here  but  their  own  clan- 
nishness  and  that  the  way  to  the  best  is  open  to  all 
who  walk  reverently.  This  and  more  I  should  like 
to  be  able  to  teach;  fragments  of  it  I  have  taught, 
more  of  it  than  many  of  them  will  find  true,  I  fear. 
But  to  me  so  much  of  it  has  been  true  that  I  should 
like  to  have  all  men  find  it  so. 

I  have  suffered  much  here,  I  have  gone  the  whole 
scale  of  hunger,  sorrow  and  despair;  yet  I  say  it 
again  and  again,  Holy  America!  Holy  America! 
And  I  want  all  men  to  be  able  to  say  it,  as  they 
said  it  with  me  under  the  lee  of  the  land  where 
free  men  live. 


IV 


THE    LAST   LANDING   AND   THE  FIRST 


THE  last  time  I  landed  in  New  York  there 
were  several  newspaper  men  waiting  to  in- 
terview me.  The  Captain  sought  me  out 
to  say  a  word  of  good-by  and  the  first  steward 
made  his  most  profound  bow,  as  he  hoped  that  he 
had  satisfied  my  every  desire.  Perhaps  the  crown- 
ing glory  of  this  landing,  was  an  automobile  wait- 
ing to  take  me  to  a  very  comfortable  hotel. 

But  habit  is  strong,  and  long  before  the  steerage 
was  to  be  disembarked  I  was  at  Ellis  Island,  to  feel 
myself  one  with  that  endless  stream  of  common 
folk  of  which  I  have  been  a  part  and  from  which, 
down  in  my  heart,  I  have  never  been  separated. 
Here  too  I  was  received  most  graciously. 

Many  of  the  inspectors  know  me  as  an  incurable 
immigrant  and  some  of  them  are  dear,  personal 
friends.  The  Commissioner  of  Immigration,  a 
reticent  but  conscientious  man,  gave  me  the  free- 
dom of  the  station,  while  his  assistant,  an  ac- 
quaintance of  many  years'  standing,  was  certainly 
no  less  cordial.  The  missionaries  and  other  wel- 
fare workers  greeted  me  as  one  of  them,  and  twice 

45 


'A 


46 


FROM  alip:n  to  citizen 


I  had  to  pass  through  the  ordeal  of  having  my 
picture  taken. 

Returning  to  Battery  P'ark  I  sought  out  Mrs. 
Noonan,  the  only  survivor  of  tlie  old  Castle  Garden 
days.  Before  her  eyes  have  passed  millions  and 
millions  of  "  furriners."  (Of  course  she  is  not 
a  foreigner,  having  be  i  born  in  Ireland.)  The 
immigrants  did  not  all  tarry  before  Mrs.  Noonan, 
or  she  would  not  now  be  sitting  at  the  gateway; 
but  I  stopped  that  very  first  time  I  landed  and  I 
stop  now  whene\er  I  come  to  the  Island. 

The  "  furriner  "  who  halts  before  Mrs.  Noo- 
nan's  basket  is  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of 
American  fried  cakes ;  she  also  sells  oranges,  apples 
and  bananas.  Just  where  or  when  or  why  this 
privilege  was  bestowed  upon  her  I  do  not  know; 
but  she  is  Irish,  and  in  the  early  days,  and  even 
in  these  latter  days,  to  be  Irish  was  and  is  equal 
to  a  patent  of  nobility. 

"  You  say  you  seen  Mr.  Witchorn?  "  she  asked 
with  her  old-time  Irish  smile.  "  Sure,  he's  the 
foinest  gintleman  that  I've  ever  known.  He  niver 
passed  over  to  the  Islard  without  stopping  and 
saying, '  How  are  you,  Mrs.  Xoonan? '  Of  course 
Mr.  Williams  is  a  nice  man  too,  but  when  he's 
busy  loike  I  don't  often  see  him.  I  don't  mean  to 
say  that  he  ain't  a  gintleman  too,  but  I  niver  got 
to  know  him  as  I  did  Mr.  Watchorn." 


LAST  LANDING  AND  FIRST 


47 


As  another  crowded  ferry  came  in  and  the  pas- 
sengers were  unloaaed  Mrs.  Noonan  continued: 

"Them's  Polanders,  Mister;  a  foine  looking, 
strong  lot  they  be.  Yes,  I  loike  them  better  than 
the  Dagoes.  The  Dagoes  kind  a  goes  against  my 
blood. 

"  I  said  to  Gineral  Leary  twenty-five  years  ago, 
maybe  it's  more,  I  am  kind  a  gettin'  old — I  says, 
'  Gineral.'  says  I, '  don't  let  them  Dagoes  in.'  And 
he  says,  says  he :  '  You're  right,  Mrs.  Noonan. 
I've  got  to  talk  to  the  Prisident  about  it.'  But 
they're  comin',  Mister.  I'm  not  sayin'  that  there 
ain't  good  Dagoes  too,  but  they  kind  a  go  against 
my  blood,  and  I  says  to  Gineral  Leary,  says 
I " 

I  interrupted  by  telling  her  that  I  bought  my 
first  bananas  of  her  here  over  twenty-five  years 
ago. 

"  No,  not  here,"  she  corrects ;  "  over  there  at 
Castle  Garden,"  and  she  smiles. 

"  Them  was  grand  days,  Mister,  when  G-neral 
Leary  was  the  boss  There  wasn't  so  many  fur- 
riners  comin'  then;  mostly  Irish  and  Dutch,  and 
there  wasn't  so  much  fuss  and  feathers  about  them 
neither. 

"Yes,  them  was  grand  days.  I've  been  here 
ever  since.  I  knew  them  all — but  I  tell  you  Mr. 
Watchorn  he  was  a  foine  gintleman — he  always 


m 


48 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


said,  '  How  do  you  do,  Mra.  Xuonan?  '    And  you 
say  you  seen  Iiinir  " 

"  Yes,"  I  said,  "  and  I  tuld  liim  I  liad  seen  you, 
and  lie  said,  '  She  is  a  line  old  lady,  that  Mrs. 
Noonan.'  " 

Her  wrinkkd  face  lighted  up.  "  Well,  I  told 
you  Mr.  VVatcliorn  is  a  foine  gintleman,"  and  she 
continued  her  reniinisv.-r.res. 

Mrs.  Noonan  and  I  have  had  this  conversation 
frequently,  with  hut  few  variations.  She  is  Irish 
— by  which  I  mean  that  she  is  a  diplomat,  an  oppor- 
tunistic optimist.  1  hope  she  will  not  be  offended 
when  she  hears  that  I  have  called  her  names.  If 
she  were  not  a  diplomat  she  would  talk  more,  or 
rather  tell  more;  but  then  perhaps  she  would  not 
have  kept  her  post,  unless  selling  fried  cakes  at 
Ellis  Island  has  become  a  Civil  Service  appoint- 
ment. 

I  go  to  see  Mrs.  Noonan  every  time  I  come  from 
the  Island,  not  only  because  she  is  Irish — therefore 
wonderfully  human — but  because  whenever  I  see 
her  I  ain  reminded  of  the  "  pit  from  which  I  was 
digged."  I  hear  the  great  Apostle  Paul  saying, 
'■  For  by  grace  ye  are  saved,  and  not  of  yourselves, 
lest  any  man  sliould  boast." 

Yet  I  really  hold  a  grudge  against  Mrs.  Noonan, 
for  when  1  landed  the  first  time  and  gave  her  my 
five  centi  for  bananas,  she  did  not  tell  me  that  I 


LAST  I^WDING  AND  FIRST  49 

must  not  eat  ihem  with  the  skins  on.  I  tell  her 
this  every  time  I  see  her,  and  her  usual  reply  is. 
"  Well,  I  wouldn't  tell  it,  if  I  was  you,  for  you 
must  have  been  greener  than  you  looked." 

In  those  days   when   Mrs.   Nuunan  sold   fried 
cakes  and  bananas  ui  Castle  Garden  and  I  landed 
for  the  first  time  in  the   United  States,  medical 
examination  was  much  more  perfunctory  than  now, 
and  I  do  not  believe  there  were  more  than  half  a 
dozen  inspectors  who  searched  into  the  secrets  of 
my   pocketbook   and   other  deeper   mysteries.     I 
know  that  it  was  all  over  very  soon  and  that  I 
stood  on  the  threshold  of  the  United  States,  the 
acrid  taste  of  banana  peeling  upon  my  lips  and 
around  me  a  surging  mass  of  malevolent  looking 
gentry,  each  one  anxious  to  get  hold  of  me  and 
carry  me  bodily,  if  need  be,  to  the  lodging  house 
which  he  represented.    A  dozen  voices  shouted  at 
me,  "  Hey,  Landsman!  "    By  the  law  of  chance  I 
did  fall  into  the  hands  of  a  landsman  who  led 
me  triumphantly  to  a  lodging  house  on  Bleecker 
Street. 

The  word  saloon  on  one  of  the  doors  we  passed 
seemed  to  attract  him,  and  he  proposed  that  we 
enter.  When  I  discovered  its  nature  I  wanted  to 
retreat,  but  he  had  already  visualized  his  desires 
by  the  mystic  sign  known  to  all  landsmen,  and 
two  glasses  of  foaming  lager  stood  before  us.    This 


•i 


PI 


**lJ7"     ■  "^^ 


60 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


episode  made  me  ten  cents  the  poorer  at  a  time 
when  ten  cents  looked  tremendously  large,  for 
there  were  not  many  coins  left  in  my  purse. 

At  last  we  reached  the  lodging  place.  It  was 
the  dinner  hour,  and  for  the  first  time  I  put  my 
feet  under  an  American  table.  I  was  hungry,  and 
whatever  I  paid  for  the  meal — I  think  it  was 
fifty  cents — it  was  worth  it;  not  because  I  ate 
enough  food,  but  because  I  learned  an  impor- 
tant lesson. 

The  dinner  was  served  d  la  second  class  Ameri- 
can boarding  house.  Everything  came  on  at  once 
and  disappeared  at  once,  while  I  meekly  waited  my 
turn. 

A  German  barber,  who  had  a  shop  next  door, 
said  to  me  after  we  left  the  table: 

"  Young  man,  in  this  country  you  must  remem- 
ber that  God  helps  those  who  help  themselves." 

After  dinner  I  went  up  and  down  Broadway 
looking  for  something  to  do. 

The  only  personal  asset  I  had  was  linguistic 
ability,  with  special  emphasis  on  philology  in  the 
field  of  the  Slavic  language  group.  Unfortunately, 
on  my  way  up  as  far  as  City  Hall  Park,  I  met  no 
one  who  was  looking  for  a  man  with  such  academic 
values.  In  fact,  I  did  not  think  much  about  what 
I  should  do.  The  sights  were  new  and  strange, 
and  no  doubt  I  »vas  stranger,  for  I  was  hailed  by 


-.'^^jj^;-^li: 


--^^i'-; 


LAST  LANDING  AND  FIRST 


51 


many  a  lad  as  "  greenhorn,"  a  term  which  grew 
more  familiar  to  me  as  time  passed. 

I  did  not  venture  far,  for  I  knew  no  English  and 
had  but  little  money.  On  returning  to  the  board- 
ing house  and  paying  for  my  supper  and  a  night's 
lodging  in  advance,  I  did  not  have  a  single  cent 
left  The  next  morning  I  woke  in  the  great  city 
without  money  and  without  friends. 

All  that  day  I  walked  the  streets  looking  for 
work,  guided  in  my  wanderings  by  the  want  ads 
in  the  Nevj  York  Staats  Zeitung.  Bartenders 
headed  the  list  of  those  wanted,  barbers  came  next ; 
bakers  too  were  in  demand  and  butchers  and  cloth- 
ing cutte;  Although  my  eyes  wandered  over  and 
over  again  to  the  lef  r  U,  there  seemed  to  be  no 
need  for  university  men,  with  special  training  in 
philology. 

That  day  I  had  nothing  to  eat.  I  knew  I  was 
in  a  free  country,  but  the  only  thing  which  was 
free,  and  that  made  no  little  impression  upon 
me,  was  ice  water.  I  helped  myself  to  it.  not 
so  much  to  quench  my  thirst,  as  in  the  vain  hope 
that  I  would  disarrange  my  digestive  apparatus 
and  thus  stop  its  incessant  call  for  food;  but  the 
more  water  I  drank  the  hungrier  I  grew. 

When  evening  came  and  the  stores  were  jcmg 
closed  I  remembered  that  my  mother  had  given 
me  the  address  of  a  distant  relative  who  many 


St 


FROiM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


years  before  had  gone  to  New  York.  It  was  not 
hard  to  find,  but  as  it  was  over  eighty  blocks  away, 
and  I  had  to  walk  the  entire  distance,  I  was  more 
dead  than  alive  when  I  reached  the  place.  Upon 
making  myself  known  I  was  very  cordially  re- 
ceived, and  I  remember  most  vividly  how  delicious 
the  delicatessen  which  were  served  me  tasted  and 
how  I  went  to  sleep  in  my  chair  while  trying  to 
answer  all  the  inquiries  about  the  people  left  behind. 
Thus  closed  my  first  full  day  in  the  United  States. 
I  have  since  frequently  walked  over  that  same 
route,  and  I  always  recall  the  entire  strangeness 
of  it;  the  loneliness,  the  hunger,  the  weariness,  and 
at  last  night,  under  the  roof  of  unknown  rela- 
tives who  shared  their  home  with  me.  The  things 
I  remember  best,  however,  are  that  ice  water  was 
free  in  the  United  States,  that  there  were  no 
soldiers  in  the  streets,  that  policemen  were  scarce, 
that  saloon  meant  a  drinking  place  and  that  there 
were  many  of  them,  that  bananas  might  be  relished 
by  Americans,  but  that  to  a  civilized  European 
they  were  tough  on  the  outside  and  mushy  within ; 
but  above  all  else — that  this  is  a  country  in  which 
"  God  helps  those  who  help  themselves." 


LOOKING  FOR  WORK  AND  THE  FIRST 
SUNDAY 

WITH  morning  came  the  still  unsolved 
question,  what  to  do  for  a  living.  My 
friends  suggested  that  I  go  from  one 
hotel  to  another  in  tlie  hope  that  my  languages 
would  be  of  value.  Accordingly,  with  the  bor- 
rowed capital  of  twenty-five  cents  in  my  pocket  I 
rode  in  the  elevated — a  great  luxury  in  those  foot- 
sore days.  From  that  vantage  point  I  could  at 
least  see  hew  the  other  half  lived. 

Occasionally  I  now  ride  on  that  ungainly  struc- 
ture to  revive  old  impressions,  and  always  in  the 
hope  that  those  swift  glimpses  of  the  privacy  of 
the  poor  will  inspire  me  to  interpret  this  vitascope 
in  some  superb  way.  Now  that  I  know  these  ave- 
nues without  and  within,  I  realize  mors  than  ever 
how  little  power  I  have  for  the  task  and  how 
futile  would  be  the  attempt. 

The  rapid  view  of  tidy  parlours  and  stuflFy  bed- 
rooms, in  which  men  have  dreamed  away  misery 
and  risen  with  new  hope;  the  ugly  fire  escapes 

dangerously  full  of  household  goods  temporarily 

68 


54 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


out  of  use;  the  wonderful  festooning  of  wash- 
lines,  tier  upon  tier,  with  their  motley  array  of 
clolliing  waving  in  the  wind — all  this  interests  nie 
now  as  it  astonished  me  then. 

Tousle-headed  women  lean  out  of  the  windows 
to  catch  a  breath  of  air,  relaxing  between  the 
monotonous  tasks  of  the  day;  children  play  in  the 
balconies  like  birds  in  their  cages.  One  has  a 
fleeting  vision  of  backs  and  heads  bending  over 
the  day  s  task,  as  oblivious  to  the  rush  and  roar  of 
the  traffic  as  if  it  were  part  of  the  mechanism  of 
the  universe. 

There  are  dingy  lofts  in  which  machinery  drives 
the  workers  and  the  hunger  for  wealth  drives  both; 
lodging  houses  whose  windows  are  covered  by  al- 
most impenetrable  dust  through  which  one  dimly 
sees  rows  of  chairs  with  half  asleep  men.  The 
bright  spots  are  furnished  by  an  increasing  number 
of  the  mystic  three  balls  and  enormous  stretches 
of  gold-lettered  signs  extolling  the  virtues  of 
various  breweries.  Then  through  blocks  of  dan- 
gling old  clothes  into  more  roar  of  traffic  and  at 
last  that  glorious  oasis,  Cit>  Hall  Park  whose 
grateful  shade  I  learned  to  know  and  whose  benches 
afforded  me  many  a  bit  of  sleep  in  those  hard  days 
of  the  past. 

All  this  I  saw  on  that  journey  down-town  on 
the  elevated.     I  think  that  down-town  and  up- 


LOOKING  FOR  WORK 


55 


town  are  the  first  English  words  I  learned  in  New 
York. 

Ah !  but  I  must  not  forget  my  earliest  glimpse 
of  Brooklyn  Bridge,  the  one  redeeming  feature  of 
that  nightmare  of  a  journey.  The  mar\-ellous 
spider  web  of  steel  reminded  me  of  the  bridge  of 
the  judgment  which  the  fancy  of  the  rabbis  built, 
long  before  the  New  World  had  risen  into  the 
consciousness  of  the  Old. 

The  rabbis  say  that  in  the  Day  of  Judgment  two 
bridges  will  lead  across  the  depths  of  Gehenna 
into  the  land  of  bliss.  One  of  them,  built  of 
heavy  beams,  will  look  strong;  the  other  will  be 
like  a  spider's  web,  resting  upon  the  clouds.  The 
multitudes  of  those  risen  from  the  dead  will  be 
asked  to  cross.  Those  who  are  gross  and  earthly 
and  have  no  faith  will  crowd  upon  the  solid  look- 
ing structure  of  heavy  beams;  while  the  righteous 
who  have  trusted  in  Jehovah  will  go  over  the  one 
poised  high  and  loftily  upon  the  clouds.  When 
the  multitude  of  those  who  lacked  faith  is  within 
sight  of  the  other  shore  the  bridge  will  break  and 
they  will  go  down  into  the  eternal  death ;  but  those 
who  trusted  in  Jehovah  will  pass  safely  over  this 
celestial  Brooklyn  Bridge  into  Paradise. 

One  thing  is  sure.  A  greater  multitude  of  Israel 
crosses  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  than  the  rabbis  ever 
saw  in  their  most  fantastic  visions  of  the  Dav  of 


56 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


Judgment,  but  as  yet  the  righteous  and  the  wicked 
use  this  half-celestial  thoroughfare  in  common. 


I  began  my  search  for  a  job  at  the  Astor  House, 
but  was  not  received  as  cordially  as  when  I  came 
there  in  later  years  with  bag  and  baggage;  in  fact, 
I  was  rather  uncivilly  told  that  they  did  not  need 
any  Dutchman.  A  more  polite  refusal  met  me  at 
an  hotel  further  up-town.  On  Fourteenth  Street  in 
a  German  hotel  I  was  offered  an  assistantship  at 
the  bar,  which  I  refused.  At  the  Fifth  Avenue 
they  would  none  of  me.  Altogether  I  visited  some 
twenty  of  the  leading  hotels. 

How  I  spent  the  twenty  cents  of  my  borrowed 
capital  I  do  not  know,  but  it  is  needless  to  say 
that  I  did  not  take  a  meal  at  any  of  the  hostelries 
I  visited.  I  walked  from  Twenty-third  Street  to 
Eightieth  Street  and  arrived  home  tired  and  dis- 
couraged. 

The  day  had  not  been  altogether  fruitless,  for 
I  learned  that  time-tables,  toilet  appliances  and  sta- 
tionery are  free  at  the  hotels.  I  had  also  learned 
that  I  was  a  Dutchman  and  the  difference  between 
down-town  and  up-town;  I  had  seen  City  Hall 
Park  and  the  Brooklyn  Bridge,  had  a  glimpse  of 
New  York  private  life  from  the  elevated  and 
learned  to  cat  bananas  the  right  way.  Certainly 
all  this  was  cheap,  for  twenty-five  cents. 


LOOKING  FOR  WORK 


67 


Two  ways  were  left  open  to  me.  One  was  to 
write  home,  tell  of  my  plight  and  ask  for  financial 
assistance.  This  I  was  much  too  proud  to  con- 
sider. The  second  was,  to  go  to  work  at  the  cloak 
trade,  the  sure  harbour  of  refuge  for  those  who 
are  unfit  for  the  harder  tasks  and  whose  attain- 
ments have  as  yet  no  market  value. 

Fortunately,  the  next  day  was  Sunday;  not  only 
could  I  rest,  but  it  was  an  opportunity  to  find  a 
job.  Sunday  is  the  day  when  acquaintances  meet 
in  the  coflfee  houses  and  the  greenhorn  becomes  a 
subject  of  conversation  and  consideration.  That 
first  Sunday  in  the  United  States  brought  distinct 
impressions.  It  was  one  of  those  light-flooded  days 
of  which  New  York  has  so  many.  The  Avenue 
was  crowded  by  throngs  at  leisure,  many  of  the 
worst  noises  had  ceased  and  from  open  windows 
were  wafted  the  mingled  odours  of  coffee  and 
cinnamon  cake. 

The  children  looked  unusually  clean,  saloons 
were  closed — in  front — and  I  could  hear  church 
bells  ringing.  Men  and  women  were  strolling  or 
going  to  church,  and  we  did  not  rush  madly  to  the 
elevated  when  we  went  down-town  to  the  Coflfee 
House. 

The  one  we  entered  was  .  distinct  disappoint- 
ment to  me.  Coming  from  >^ienna.  where  the 
Coflfee  House  is  at  its  best,  I  expected  to  find  it 


58 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


bodily  transplanted,  "  revised  and  improved.  "  In- 
stead, I  saw  a  shabby  room  stiflingly  full  of  cigar- 
ette smoke.  There  was  no  attempt  at  decoration 
and  the  floor  was  far  from  immaculate.  Seated  at 
small  tables  were  men  playing  cards  and  retailing 
the  gossip  from  home. 

This  particular  Coffee  House  was  frequented  by 
cloak  shop  workers,  many  of  them  acquaintances  of 
my  relatives.  To  them  the  greenhorn  was  intro- 
duced and  by  them  his  problem  was  discussed. 

Their  attitude  toward  the  new  comer  was  one  of 
benevolent  condescension,  and  although  I  was  a 
stranger  to  them  they  were  all  eager  to  help,  even 
while  they  were  making  fun  of  me,  more  especially 
because  I  doffed  my  hat  and  bowed  low  before 
every  one  to  whom  I  was  introduced. 

At  last  my  fate  was  decided :  I  was  to  report  on 
Monday  at  a  certain  number  on  Canal  Street,  bring 
an  apron  and  try  my  luck  at  pressing  cloaks. 

As  I  had  never  found  pleasure  at  cards, 
I  excused  myself  and  was  advised  to  find  my  way 
home  by  way  of  Fifth  Avenue  and  Central  Park. 
I  still  remember  the  fashionably  dressed  crowds, 
the  carriages  and  liveried  coachmen  and  the  mag- 
nificent residences.  I  was  most  impressed  by  the 
churches,  first  by  their  names  and  then  by  their 
number. 

It  was  eleven  o'clock  and  rather  timidly  I  drifted 


LOOKING  FOR  WORK  M 

into  one  of  them.  It  was  all  strangely  new  and  at 
first  not  at  .ill  impressive.  The  room  was  rather 
unecclesiastical,  tlie  people  not  over  reverent  and 
the  organ  music  too  secular  for  my  taste.  I  re- 
member hearing  with  pleasure  the  fine  strains  of 
the  Doxology.  The  hymn  which  followed  I  did 
not  like,  and  when  a  quartet  sang  an  anthem  I 
thought  I  was  in  a  concert  hall  rather  than  in  a 
church.  I  could  not,  of  course,  understand  the 
sermon,  and  my  thoughts  went  back  to  my  early 
soul  struggles.  I  recalled  my  first  glimpse  of  a 
Christian  Church ;  the  organ  music,  the  dim  light, 
the  incense  and  the  mystery  of  the  mass.  I  recalled 
my  wavering  between  faith  and  unbelief,  my  firm 
denial  of  the  Deity  and  the  latent  hunger  and  thirst 
for  contact  with  that  great  Something  which  could 
not  be  blotted  out  by  syllogisms  and  which  had 
defied  my  defiance  of  it. 

I  thought  of  home,  the  great  series  of  disappoint- 
ments my  mother  had  suffered  in  me  and  how,  after 
this  useless  flight  to  America,  I  was  penniless  on 
the  streets  of  the  city. 

By  nature  I  am  a  Rationalist  with  the  outer 
edges  of  my  reasoning  tinged  by  mysticism;  yet 
in  the  great  crises  of  my  life  I  have  always  felt  a 
certain  guidance.  Of  course  I  willed  to  do  many 
things  and  did  them,  and  thereby  brought  harm  to 

.  thcrs ;  but  every  onward 


••v^vv/^ 


>1f    srt'^  nr\  H.'^-.tht 


60 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


and  upward  step  seemed  to  be  not  of  my  choosing, 
and  altliough  often  they  were  steps  into  the  dark, 
they  all  led  to  a  definite  goal.  When  a  friendless 
youth  in  that  strange  church  I  listened  to  the 
preacher,  not  understanding  what  he  said,  I  felt 
that  same  premonition  which  ha^'  come  to  me  when, 
as  a  child,  I  heard  the  Latin  Jiant  and  saw  the 
white-robed  prit~,t — some  day  you  will  be  like  this 
and  do  this  self-same  thing. 

I  passed  through  the  door  of  that  very  New  York 
church  a  short  time  ago  and  stood  where  the 
preacher  stood  whom  I  did  not  understand.  I 
spoke  of  the  poor  babe  in  Bethlehem  and  the  boy 
in  Nazareth ;  of  children  in  the  city  streets  and  of 
the  youths  who  perish  there — and  then  I  remem- 
bered, although  I  did  not  say  it,  that  not  so  many 
years  ago  I  sat  in  the  shadow  of  yonder  gallery, 
penniless  and  hungry  and  homesick,  and  that,  al- 
though the  schooling  was  hard  and  bitter,  and  the 
rough  road  long,  I  was  being  led  that  weary  way  to 
prepare  me  to  speak  as  I  then  spoke. 


Dinner  was  late  that  first  Sunday  and  there  were 
guests,  among  them  the  first  American  girls  I 
had  met,  and  that  is  worth  noting.  Although  they 
were  only  ten  years,  more  or  less,  removed  from 
the  steerage,  they  were  entirely  different  creatures 
from  girls  like  them  in  Vienna. 


■J«^.^=: 


kS'  Ti' 


LOOKING  FOR  WORK 


61 


They  were  very  self-assertive,  exceedingly  loud, 
garishly  dressed  and  too  free  in  their  contact  with 
men,  but  attractive  nevertheless.  There  were  also 
two  sisters  from  Buda-Pesth,  thoroughly  Ameri- 
canized, everi  to  their  nime  I  have  good  reason 
to  remember  them,  f  we  worked  in  the  same  shop. 
They  helped  me  over  those  awkward,  green  days 
of  my  apprenticeship  and  I  have  never  ceased  to 
be  grateful,  f  hey  also  told  me  of  Cooper  Institute 
where  they  attended  classes  in  literature,  and  at  the 
dinner  table  we  had  quite  a  learned  discussion 
about  Dickens,  whom  they  were  studying  and 
whom  I  knew  in  an  excellent  translation. 

They  gave  me  my  first  lesson  in  English.  I  dis- 
covered what  a  sweet  potato  was  and  how  it  tasted. 
Somehow  I  caught  the  word  mirror,  and  added  it 
to  my  vocabulary;  and  I  learned  with  horror  thit 
young  women  chew  gum  in  America. 

This  wonderful  Sunday  had  a  rather  sad  ending. 
Late  in  the  evening  my  host  went  to  the  saloon, 
through  the  back  door.  He  did  not  come  home  at 
bedtime  so  his  son  and  I  went  to  look  for  him  and 
found  him  lying  in  the  gutter,  dazed,  with  his  pockets 
rifled.  We  carried  him  home  and  there  was  much 
lamentation,  for  we  thought  him  dangerously  hurt. 
When  the  doctor  came  T  added  another  word  to  my 
vocabulary — "  knock-out  drops  " — a  hard  word  to 
remember.    They  were  put  into  his  glass  of  beer, 


I 


•»---'-*^»»t» 


m  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

after  which  his  week's  wages  and  his  watch  and 
chain  were  taken  from  him.  He  was  the  sadder 
and  I  the  wiser  man,  for  I  developed  a  wholesome 
dread  of  that  American  institution — the  saloon. 
Indeed,  I  carried  much  into  life  out  of  that  first 
Sunday : 

The  contrasting  quiet  of  the  day. 

The  repellent  Coffee  House  life. 

The  assurance  of  a  job. 

The  sacred  quiet  and  uplift  of  the  church. 

The  American  girls  with  their  chatter  and  chew- 
ing gum,  their  free  and  easy  manners  and  their 
generous,  good  hearts. 

A  wholesome  dread  of  the  saloon  with  its 
"  knock-out  drops." 

Not  a  bad  showing  for  the  first  Sunday  in 
America. 


-'-:-_lz^%*'_?' 


£ 


i'-"^-: 


VI 
IN  THE  SWEAT  SHOP 

IN  New  York  recently  I  lectured  before  a  Wom- 
an's Club  whose  membership  is  composed  of 
the  so-called  four  hundred.  At  an  informal 
tea  which  followed,  my  charming  hostess  asked 
me  whether  I  am  not  too  optimistic  in  regard  to  the 
various  problems  arising  out  of  immigration  to 
the  United  States. 

"  I  am  doing  everything,"  I  replied.  "  to  tone 
down  my  optimism.  I  go  back  and  forth  in  the 
steerage,  I  come  here,  to  the  East  Side,  and  live 
again  among  these  people;  but  invariably  I  leave 
them  with  a  song  of  hope  in  my  heart." 

"  The  East  Side  isn't  the  place  to  grow  pessi- 
mistic, you  have  to  come  to  Fifth  Avenue." 

The  judgment  of  the  lady  who  said  this  ought 
to  be  of  value,  for  she  lives  on  Fifth  Avenue,  and 
the  name  she  bears  has  been  associated  with  that 
thoroughfare  for  two  generations.  After  the  tea 
some  of  the  ladies  asked  me  to  take  them  to  a 
point  of  vantage  where  they  too  might  get  the 
thrill  of  optimism  into  their  jaded  systems. 

We  stood  on  the  corner  of  Grand  Street  and  the 


64 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


Bowery  at  abou-  fifteen  minutes  past  six  and  let 
the  great  current  of  the  workers  sweep  by  \.6. 
Row  upon  rcw  of  chattering  /iris,  sedate,  solemn- 
looking  men,  bright-eyed,  energetic  youths  followed 
each  other.  Comnany  after  company,  regiment 
after  regiment,  an  army  of  them.  When  they  had 
passed  I  said: 

"How  c'o  you    feel?" 

"  As  if  I  had  been  on  a  mountain  top,"  said  one. 

A  delightful  old  lady  who  was  old  enough  and 
sensible  enough  to  glory  in  her  age  said : 

"  I  had  the  same  thrill  that  I  felt  when  I  was 
in  Washington  at  the  time  the  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic returned  from  the  battlefields.  It  was  sad,  but 
then  I  said :  '  The  country  is  safe.'  I  can  say  it 
now." 

If  one  were  to  analyze  this  statement  critically 
he  would  say  that  it  is  merely  the  thrill  one  gets 
in  watching  the  masses,  the  contagion  of  the  mob; 
but  why  does  one  not  feel  it,  say  on  Fifty-seventh 
Street  and  Fifth  Avenue?  There  also  are  masses, 
glittering  masses  of  horses  and  men — an  army  too. 
Yet  even  those  who  are  a  part  of  that  throng  feel, 
if  they  feel  at  all,  the  emptiness,  the  uselessness 
and  the  danger  of  it  all. 


When  I  w^s  an  involuntary  member  of  the  army 
of  workers  in  the  clothing  trade,  it  was  in  its  begin- 


IN  THE  SWEAT  SHOP 


66 


nings.  iivce  were  only  a  few  large  firms  and  a 
few  small  ones  along  Broadway.  These  have 
grown  into  more  than  two  thousand,  crowding  into 
upper  Broadway  and  coming  close  to  the  fashion- 
able residence  district,  too  close  indeed  for  the 
price  of  real  estate.  I  was  one  of  about  five 
thousand  workers  who  now  number  more  than 
eighty  thousand,  producing  three  hundred  million 
dollars'  worth  of  clothing. 

I  must  confess  that  I  'v  -.s  not  at  all  thrilled  that 
morning  when  I  joined  this  army,  nor  was  I  de- 
pressed; for  although  I  had  vague  apprehensions, 
it  was  a  chance  to  earn  a  living,  and  I  did  not  have 
to  face  the  awful  alternative  of  asking  help  from 
my  mother,  gladly  as  I  knew  she  would  give  it. 

The  building  in  which  the  shop  was  located  has 
long  ago  been  torn  down,  and  at  that  time  was  a 
fire  trap,  unfit  to  house  people  who  had  to  both 
work  and  live  in  it.  The  boss,  and  that  was  another 
new  word  for  my  vocabulary,  was  an  Austrian 
Jew,  r  very  gentle  sort  of  man  with  a  mild  voice. 
The  real  boss  was  an  Irish  forelady  with  the  tra- 
ditional red  hair  and  quick  tongue  of  her  race,  and 
she  possessed  all  the  qualities  of  bossism  which  the 
real  boss  lacked. 

I  pride  myself  upon  net  having  any  race  preju- 
dices, but  smould<.ring  within  me,  and  ready  to 
burrt  out  any  time  I  give  it  a  chance,  is  a  prejudice 


II 


66 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


against  the  Irish,  begotten  in  that  shop,  which  the 
forelady  ruled  with  an  iron  hand.  To  those  of  us 
who  worked,  she  was  the  personification  of  Pha- 
raoh or,  better  still,  of  Haman,  and  the  gibbet  upon 
which  the  latter  hung  was  erected  many  a  time  in 
our  minds.  Of  course  the  Irish  oppressor  was 
swinging  from  it,  while  we  praised  Jehovah  'or 
his  wonderful  deliverance.  It  was  not  that  the 
work  was  hard,  bitterly  hard  that  first  day  and 
for  many  days  to  come,  but  that  she  was  a  tyrant 
and  seemed  to  delight  in  our  suffering. 

I  was  a  presser,  but  she  was  the  oppressor,  and 
every  garment  which  exacted  swdat  drops  be- 
cause of  the  hard  work  also  drew  tears  because  of 
her  chicanery. 

The  hot  iron,  weighing  ten  or  fifteen  pounds, 
which  I  was  taught  to  guide  across  the  cloaks, 
weighed  a  ton  before  noon,  and  that  short  hour, 
while  it  came  none  too  soon,  ended  all  too  quickly. 
With  some  borrowed  money  I  went  to  buy  a  lunch- 
eon, and  the  numerous  temptations  for  my  palate 
deserve  a  chapter  of  their  own.  I  had  ten  cents 
allotted  me  for  this  meal.  After  looking  at  a 
hot  gulyas  and  filling  my  nostrils  with  the  varied 
odours  of  other  foods  beyond  my  reach,  I  bought 
a  sandwich  and  a  pie.  Both  of  them  were  new 
words  for  my  vocabulary  and  new  food  to  my 
gastronomic  experience. 


IN  THE  SWEAT  SHOP 


67 


I  wonder  whether  any  one  realizes  how  much 
mjstcry  there  is  for  a  greenhorn  in  the  word  sand- 
wich. When  I  first  saw  it  written  on  a  sign,  in 
the  plural,  I  used  all  my  philological  training  to 
lead  it  back  to  its  etymological  origin ;  and  when  I 
ate  the  sandwich  I  was  disappointed  to  find  that 
so  wonderful  a  word  should  to  just  commonplace 
pieces  of  bread  and  butter,  with  a  slice  of  cheese 
between  them. 

The  pie  also  was  a  disillusionment  and  a  waste 
of  money  besides,  for  between  the  soggy  crusts 
was  a  mysterious  mixture  of  meat  and  raisins — 
an  impossible  combination  even  to  a  hungry  Euro- 
pean cloak  presser.  I  still  feel  the  horror  of  that 
first  bite,  and  I  have  something  akin  to  hydrophobia 
when  mince  pie  is  even  mentioned. 

The  afternoon  was  vastly  worse  than  the  morn- 
ing. I  scorched  the  hem  of  a  garment  and  I  felt 
scorched  all  over  when  the  Irish  forelady  got 
through  with  me.  Of  course  I  could  not  under- 
stand what  she  said,  but  that  was  quite  unnecessary. 
Her  gestures  would  have  been  understood  by  a 
deaf  and  dumb  man.  and  her  red  hair  seemed 
like  a  burning  bush,  in  her  anger. 

That  night  I  felt  as  sore  as  if  I  had 
been  passed  through  a  mill  The  supper  made  me 
homesick,  for  the  sweet  smell  of  well-known  dishes 
recalled  home  and  its    :>mforts.     I  am  not  sur* 


I 


68 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


but  that  the  noodle  soup  grew  saltier  from  my 
tears. 

American  people  wonder  at  the  tenacity  with 
which  the  immigrant  clings  to  the  foods  of  his 
Fatherland.  It  is  not  strange,  for  the  nostrils,  the 
lips,  the  whole  body  retain  precious  memories  of 
odours  and  tastes  which  are  seldom  forgotten. 
I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  noodle  soup,  with  the 
right  kind  of  seasoning,  touches  more  channels 
of  memory  than — say,  a  lullaby  or  even  a  picture 
of  the  homeland. 

The  Jewish  lawgivers  knew  this  fact,  although 
they  never  studied  psychology,  and  every  historic 
occurrence  which  they  wislied  ta  memorialize  is 
steeped  in  some  dietary  law  and  so  forever  pre- 
served. They  could  trust  the  palate  more  than 
the  spoken  word  or  the  written  page. 

Tired  as  I  was  and  bruised  as  I  felt,  I  found 
some  pleasure  and  consolation  in  the  society  of 
the  two  girls  from  Buda-Pesth  on  whom  I  called 
that  evening.  They  assured  me  that  although  the 
way  of  the  greenhorn  was  hard,  when  I  knew 
English  I  would  be  sure  to  find  some  place  suited 
to  my  attainments.  Accordingly,  they  arranged  to 
take  me  to  night  school  where  I  could  complete 
my  knowledge  of  the  language  of  which  I  then 
knew:  down-town  and  up-town,  mirror,  boss, 
knock-out  drops,  banana,  elevated,  figure,  custo- 


IN  THE  SWEAT  SHOP 


69 


mer,  cloak,  presser,  sandwich,  oh,  horrors!  mince 
pie,  saloon,  greenhorn  and  forelady. 

The  days  in  the  shop  were  hard  yet  not  monoto- 
nous, '-ir  I  added  new  experiences  each  day  and 
my  vocabulary  i  :reasi  1  rapidly.  I  could  now  say, 
You  bet.  and  Shut  up.  Gradually,  also,  I  was  in- 
troduced into  the  gossip  of  the  shop.  I  learned, 
of  coirse,  ihat  everybody  hated  the  forelady  ex- 
cept the  Irish  gi  is,  f  whom  there  were  not  a 
nv  in  the  most  lucrative  positions.  It  was  sur- 
mised in  the  sl'.op  that  the  boss  and  the  forelady 
were  good  friends — better  friends  than  they  ought 
to  be,  considering  that  he  was  a  Jew  and  married 
b'  side.  Moreover,  the  head  designer  was  supposed 
to  be  in  love  with  the  head  trimmer. 

To  me  the  most  interesting  people  were  the 
"  figures,"  of  which  the  shop  boasted  a  number  34, 
a  36  and  a  38.  Figure,  in  that  day  of  my  limited 
vocabulary,  meant  a  lady  with  more  or  less  golden 
hair  of  uncertai  hue,  gold  filled  teeth  and  a  pow- 
dered face,  who  did  nothing  but  try  on  cloaks 
and  walk  up  and  down  before  the  customer,  which 
seemed  a  very  strange  word  to  be  used  '•  con- 
nection with  a  man  who  bought  cloaks.  When 
I  heard  that  the  number  34,  for  instance,  received 
sixteen  dollars  a  week,  I  marvelled  at  the  inequality 
of  life  in  a  country  in  which  men  and  womer  ire 
supposed  to  be  equal. 


■-:<j  - 


rjT^- 


T-Tr=T: 


T-' 


.irt'V 


70 


.  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


The  three  "  figures,"  the  forelady,  the  head  de- 
signer, the  Irish  errand  girl,  with  the  rest  of  us 
who  toiled  and  sweated  and  were  sweated,  the  little 
intrigues  of  each  day  filled  that  first  week  with 
action.  It  was  a  drama  which  now  is  being  re- 
played in  my  memory,  and  it  reached  its  climax 
when,  at  the  end  of  the  week,  I  held  in  my  trem- 
bling hand  my  first  pay  envelope  containing  three 
dollars  and  fifty  cents.  I  felt  supremely  happy, 
although  I  was  in  debt  even  after  giving  three 
dollars  to  the  friends  who  had  advanced  my  lunch- 
eon and  carfare  money. 

It  was  the  first  money  I  ever  earned,  and  those 
three  dollars  and  fifty  cents  looked  larger  than 
any  salary  I  have  received  since. 

As  I  have  never  reached  any  alarming  heights 
in  that  direction,  I  do  not  know  how  I  might  feel 
if  for  instance  I  were  drawing  the  salary  of  the 
president  of  a  life  insurance  company;  but  I  doubt 
that  I  could  feel  as  honestly  happy.  I  knew  that 
I  had  really  earned  every  cent  of  that  money  and 
the  joy  of  it  was  not  tainted  by  the  thought  that 
I  had  been  creaiing  wealth  for  my  boss ;  nor  had  I 
reached  that  exalted  point  where  I  believed  that 
the  cloak  industry  was  entirely  dependent  upon  my 
efforts  as  a  presser. 

I  really  found  joy  in  my  calloused  hands. 
Every  blister  meant  more  to  me  than  certain  slight 


IN  THE  SWEAT  SHOP 


71 


sword  cuts  in  my  university  days.  The  ache  in 
my  back,  the  weight  on  my  shoulders,  the  harden- 
ing muscle  of  my  arms  exalted  me  before  myself, 
and  I  really  thought  life  worth  living,  although 
it  was  lived  in  a  sweat  shop. 

That  Sunday  I  walked  again  on  Fifth  Avenue, 
but  with  a  prouder  step,  for  I  was  a  worker.  I 
was  beginning  to  know  how  to  press  cloaks,  and 
from  that  time  to  this  I  joy  most  in  the  fact  that 
I  was  taught  by  hard  experience  the  value  of  la- 
bour. Again  I  went  into  a  church,  one  full  of 
colour  and  the  odours  of  sanctity,  and  when  the 
priest  elevated  the  host  I  recalled  Goethe's  lines: 

"  Who  never  ate  with  tears  his  bread. 

Who  never  through  night's  heavy  hours 
Sat  weeping  on  his  lonely  bed — 
He  knows  you  not,  ye  heavenly  powers ! " 


VII 

LEARNING  ENGLISH  AND  GOING  TO 
PRINCETON 

EUROPE  still  wonders  at  our  power  to  as- 
similate the  people  from  every  nation  and 
tongue,  and  to  our  own  country  it  also 
seems  like  a  miracle,  performed  upon  us  and  those 
who  came  before.  We  sometimes  doubt  that  it  will 
continue  to  do  its  work  on  these  new  comers  who 
are  supposed  to  be  made  of  coarser  clay. 

The  forces  at  work  which  act  automatically  if 
not  miraculously  are : 

1.  The  air,  with  its  excess  of  ozone  and  the  er- 
ratic performances  of  the  mercury,  with  its  sudden 
slides  below  zero,  which  set  a  new  pace  for  the 
most  sluggish  blood. 

2.  The  fact  that  there  are  but  few,  if  any,  geo- 
graphic and  climatic  pockets  in  which  a  type  may 
survive,  unmodified. 

3.  The  geographic  forces  which  do  so  much  to 
change  racial  types  and  are  as  yet  uncontrolled  by 
any  trust  The  overcrowding  in  city  tenements, 
however,  is  ^  spr'r>!'c  rh^rlr  i-.ru 

73 


»u;_    -1 .    « 

lllio     CiClIiCiiLcii 


LEARNING  ENGLISH 


78 


power  to  assimilate  our  mixture  of  human  ma- 
terial. 

4.  No  small  factor  is  the  food,  which  is  so  little 
provincialized  that  San  Francisco  and  New  York 
eat  the  same  breakfast  foods  and  bake  their  bread 
from  the  same  brand  of  flour. 

5.  The  economic  opportunity,  which  thus  far 
has  permitted  men  to  rise  to  a  higher  standard— 
the  American  standard  of  living. 

6.  The  public  school  which  dots  the  land  and 
grinds  all  the  grain  into  the  same  grist. 

The  one  force,  however,  most  vital  in  this 
process  is  the  English  language,  which  is  not 
foisted  upon  the  stranger  by  any  official  decree, 
but  which  has  back  of  it  a  still  greater  compulsion. 

If  there  were  a  law  compelling  all  immigrants 
to  learn  the  English  language,  this  country  would 
be  a  linguistic  battlefield  in  which  every  tongue 
from  Sanskrit  to  Esperanto  would  struggle  for 
supremacy  and  so  destroy  any  hope  of  ever  assimi- 
lating the  "stranger  within  our  gates."  This 
subtle  force  of  a  common  language  creeps  in 
everywhere,  just  because  it  is  not  driven.  It 
comes  in  by  single  words  like  yes  and  no,  and 
modifies  others,  like  gemovt  and  gejumpt.  Then 
it  comes  by  leaps  and  bounds  until  only  a  vestige 
of   the   mother   tongue   remains. 


TU, 


:s-ii;ri  oi  ti  jjroiuincni  incw 


York  iamiiy  of 


^Wf^. 


74 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


German  extraction  gave  this  example  of  how  Eng- 
lish was  spoken  in  his  grandfather's  home: 

"  Johnnie,  come  in  oncet  already." 

"  What  should  I?  "  replies  the  voice  from  with- 
out. 

"  Because  dinner.  Father  and  Mother's  on  the 
table  and  Charlie's  half  et." 

The  small  boy  was  asked  by  that  same  grand- 
father to  "  run  de  alley  tru  and  make  de  dog 
loose." 

"  Hurry  you,  Mother,  and  make  my  back  shut," 
is  a  literal  translation  from  the  German,  heard  in 
these  latter  days  when  female  attire  has  changed 
front. 

"  I  will  take  a  revolver  und  schiess,"  is  an  in- 
teresting example;  while  "fight  talk"  is  a  most 
picturesque  designation  of  a  college  debate  wit- 
nessed by  a  new  comer. 

Small  wonder,  then,  that  I  was  eager  to  learn 
well  the  language  which  floated  around  me  in 
such  interesting  bits.  Accordingly,  I  went  to 
Cooper  Union  on  Monday  night  and  was  duly  en- 
rolled as  a  pupil. 

The  class  was  much  too  large  and  made  up  of 
an  unruly  group  of  all  sorts  and  kinds.  Many  of 
them  had  never  been  to  school,  which  made  the 
task  of  the  teacher  most  difficult.  The  method 
of  teaching  English  and  the  text-books  have  im- 


LEARNING  ENGUSH 


7» 


proved  very  much  since  then,  but  even  now  the 
teacher  too  often  forgets  that  he  is  dealing  with 
men  who  have  toiled  all  the  day,  and  that  the  brain 
is  apt  to  be  sluggish.  On  that  account  "many 
are  called  but  few  chosen";  that  is,  but  few  suy 
until  the  end  of  the  course. 

If  our  teacher  had  met  us  as  men  and  not  as 
children,  if  into  that  weary  hour  he  had  thrown 
a  grain  of  humour  to  relax  us,  if  some  one  would 
have  sung  a  simple  tune  in  English,  more  might 
have  remained  after  a  week  than  fourteen  out  of 
a  class  of  more  than  ten  times  that  number.  Yet 
I  learned  a  great  deal  those  nights,  especially  dur- 
ing the  return  home,  when  I  was  accompanied  by 
some  men  who  had  quickly  acquired,  out  of  school, 
a  rather  lurid  vocabulary. 

To  me  this  chance  to  learn  a  new  language  was 
a  great  boon,  and  I  still  pity  the  man  who  can 
visualize  a  thought  in  but  one.  The  intellectual 
alertness  of  some  children  of  the  immigrants  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  they  often  know  more  than 
their  mother  tongue. 

My  first  conversation  in  English  was  held  with 
the  Irish  forelady.  I  used  some  of  the  language  I 
had  learned  out  of  school,  the  etymology  of  which 
I  had  not  studied  beforehand.  To  my  amazement 
she  flew  into  a  rage,  and  with  her  red  hair  like 
a  framing  aurora  borealis.  went  to  the  boss     As 


).  .TROCOPY    RESOIUTION    TEST    CHART 

ANSI  and   ISO  TEST   IHART   Mo     2 


1.0 


I.I 


I:  1^ 


Z5 

H 

1.8 


1.25 


1.4 


1.6 


^     ,>1PPL!ED  INTMGE     inc 


76 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


a  result,  on  Saturday  night  I  had  a  chance  to 
further  apply  my  knowledge  of  English,  for 
written  neatly  upon  the  pay  envelope  was  this 
sentence,  "  Your  services  are  no  longer  required." 

This  yielded  at  least  two  new  words  for  my 
vocabulary  and  not  only  lost  me  my  job,  but  ex- 
hausted the  patience  of  my  relatives,  to  whom  I 
was  still  in  debt. 

That  Sunday  was  a  very  blue  one.  I  did  not 
go  on  Fifth  Avenue,  but  on  that  day  of  grace  I 
studied  the  want  column  of  the  Nctv  York  Staats 
Zeitung  all  the  way  from  barber  and  bartender 
down  to  pressers. 

On  Monday  morning  I  was  one  of  the  army  of 
the  unemployed  in  search  of  a  job.  I  do  not  know 
how  many  addresses  I  had  where  pressers  were 
wanted,  but  I  do  know  that  greenhorns  were  not 
in  demand,  and  that  night  I  was  both  penniless 
and  homeless. 

I  have  seen  Broadway  since,  many,  many 
times.  I  have  seen  it  in  varied  moods  and  have 
felt  its  thrill,  its  materialistic  glory,  but  I  can  re- 
member it  best  as  a  long,  cruel  "  lane  which  has 
no  turning." 

"  Blessed  are  the  poor,  for  theirs  is  the  king- 
dom of  Heaven  " ;  but  not  when  they  fall  asleep 
on  a  park  bench  on  the  City  Hall  Square.  As 
long  as  I  contemplated  the  bit  of  heaven  which 


!>;,„>/  '-.  ■ 


LEARNING  ENGLISH 


77 


was  above  me  I  was  left  'inmolestcd,  but  as  soon  as 
I  shut  my  eyes  a  disturber  of  the  peace,  clad  in  a 
blue  uniform,  would  touch  my  head  or  shoulder 
with  his  wand  and  waken  nie  from  my  enchant- 
ment. 

In  the  morning,  long  before  the  shops  were 
opened.  I  had  a  chance  to  study  English  before 
breakfast,  which  on  those  days  was  particularly 
late. 

There  were  signs  along  Broadway  and  adjacent 
streets  which  obviated  the  necessity  of  buying  a 
newspaper  to  study  the  want  columns.  They  de- 
clared the  needs  of  the  particular  trades  in  which 
men  were  needed,  and  I  climbed  up  and  down 
many  a  loft,  but  no  one  wanted  me.  In  great 
humiliation  of  spirit  and  depression  of  mind  and 
body  I  went  back  to  the  shop  from  which  I  had 
been  discharged  and  sought  reinstatement.  This 
the  Irish  forelady  refused. 

Here  one  thing  happened  which  greatly  modi- 
fied my  prejudices  and  made  me  believe  that  even 
the  Irish  have  hearts.  It  was  luncheon  time,  but 
I  had  not  yet  had  breakfast.  The  odour  of  food 
was  maddening  and  I  was  hungry  enough  to  have 
eaten  even  mince  pie.  It  was  the  Irish  errand  girl 
who  said : 

"  Say.  greeny,  you  look  hungry.    Have  a  bite." 
Since  that  time  I  have  received  many  a  dinner 


78 


raOM  ALIExN  TO  CITIZEN 


invitation  engraved  and  embossed,  but  this  one, 
although  less  elegantly  worded,  was  the  most  wel- 
come. 

The  other  pressers  in  the  shop  promised  to  help 
me  get  a  job,  and  one  of  them,  a  Russian  Jew, 
asked  me  to  share  his  quarters  until  it  was  found. 
Accordingly,  I  moved  from  City  Hall  Park  to 
East  Houston  Street,  at  that  time  narrower  and 
dirtier  than  now. 

There  were  two  rooms  in  that  tenement  and  a 
wife  and  two  children,  but  there  was  room.  I 
suppose  it  has  always  been  true  that  the  fewer 
rooms  men  have  the  more  room  there  is  for  the 
stranger.  I  slept  that  night,  as  I  wish  I  could 
sleep  now — and  until  late  in  the  morning.  That 
evening,  through  the  good  offices  of  my  comrades 
in  the  shop,  I  had  a  new  job.  This  time  I  was  to 
learn  to  be  a  cutter.  The  wages  were  modest,  but 
there  was  a  chance  to  learn  a  trade  in  which  skill 
counted  more  and  mere  physical  power  less. 

I  "  made  good  "  and  at  the  end  of  the  week 
boasted  of  seven  dollars  in  wages,  enough  to  pay 
the  week's  bill,  though  I  was  still  in  debt. 

For  more  than  a  month  I  went  to  night  school 
every  evening,  after  ten  hours'  hard  work.  I  again 
enjoyed  the  leisure  of  the  Sunday  and  began  read- 
ing English  books.  The  first  one  I  drew  from  the 
Public  Library  was  "  David  Copperficld,"  and  I 


■ 


-.jrf::-'-  ^f:s: 


LEARNING  ENGLISH  79 

had  learned  enough  English  to  laugh  heartily  at 
Dickens's  humour  and  shed  many  a  bitter  tear 
over  his  superb  pathos. 

At  the  end  of  the  month  I  had  sufficient  money 
to  replenish  my  worn-out  wardrobe,  and  a  week 
after  spending  almost  my  last  cent  on  good  clothes, 
again  received  a  pay  envelope  with  the  fatal  mes- 
sage, "  Your  services  no  longer  required."  It 
was  "  slack  time,"  and  everybody  was  "  laid  off." 
Thus  I  received  my  first  lesson  in  economics. 

I  learned  that  there  is  a  time  when  men  and 
women  work  furiously  ten  or  twelve  hours  a  day. 
that  mountains  of  clothes  are  manufactured  and 
that  all  at  once,  as  if  it  were  a  law  of  nature,  comes 
this  "  slack  time  "  when  men  and  women,  eager 
to  labour  because  they  must,  cannot  get  work. 

So  again,  I  wa«;  walking  along  Broadway  with 
nothing  to  do  except  look  for  a  job.  any  kind  of 
job.     I  worked  intermittently  in  a  baker's  shop, 
a  feather  renovating  establishment  and  a  sausage 
factory.     I  earned  enough  money  to  keep  body 
and   soul   together,   but  was   growing  more  and 
more    discouraged    and    my    spirit    was    broken. 
When  finally  even  these  casual  jobs  grew  lewer. 
I  determined  to  leave  New  York.     Somewhere  I 
had  read  the  advice  of  a  famous  man.  "  Go  West 
young  man."    Accordingly,  I  set  out  for  the  land 
of  the  setting  sun  by  taking  the  ferry  across  to 


80 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  OTIZEN 


li^j. 


Jersey  City.  That  same  evening  I  bought  a  ticket 
as  far  as  my  money  would  carry  me,  which  was 
not  very  far.  I  arrived  at  my  destination  that 
night  and  went  to  sleep  on  the  platform  of  the 
freight  house.  I  did  not  even  have  a  "  stone  for 
a  pillow,"  nor  did  I  dream  of  "  angels  ascending 
and  descending,"  yet  I  too  "  wrestled."  not  with 
angels,  but  with  mosquitoes.  I  awoke  very  early 
and  found  that  I  was  at  a  place  called  Princeton 
Junction,  which  was  not  a  place  at  all,  but  merely 
a  station  and  a  few  out-buildings. 

I  did  not  know  that  I  was  within  a  few  miles  of 
a  great  university.  I  discovered  that  institution 
later.  I  have  preached  and  lectured  there  since, 
and  some  of  my  dearest  friends  are  connected  with 
it,  but  in  the  meanwhile  I  had  to  "  go  West  and 
grow  up  with  the  country." 


H 


<^:<^ 


VIII 


AN  INVOLUNTARY  TOLSTOYAN 

IN  my  student  days  I  visited  Count  Tolstoy  on 
his  estate  at  Yasnaya  Polyana.     One  day  I 
saw  him  cutting  grain,   following  a  row  of 
peasants  as  they  swung  their  scythes. 

"  Try  it,"  he  said  to  me;  and  when,  after  many 
clumsy  attempts,  I  finally  dropped  the  crude  blade 
and  wiped  the  perspiration  from  my  face,  he  re- 
marked : 

"  Young  man,  for  a  few  minutes,  at  least,  you 
have  been  doing  the  will  of  God.  He  has  not  made 
your  hands  merely  to  hold  gloves  and  a  cane  and 
cigareiuo.  but  to  do  useful,  honest  work."  And 
he  left  me,  filled  with  dismay,  for  I  had  gloves, 
a  cane  and  cigarettes. 

From  that  day  till  the  day  when  I  stood  in  front 
of  a  farmhouse  on  the  Trenton  road  I  had  not 
attempted  any  field  work  and  but  little  useful 
labour  of  any  kind,  such  as  Tolstoy  would  approve 
and  call  honest. 

When  I  knocked  at  the  front  door,  the  an- 
swer was  a  gruff  voice  directing  me  to  the  kitchen, 

81 


H2  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

There  I  was  met  by  the  housekeeper  and  general 
factotum,  a  German  woinan  of  middle  age,  who 
spoke  her  mother  tongue  with  the  soft  Saxon 
accent  and  the  politeness  proverbial  among  her 
countrymen.  She  engaged  me.  although  the  mat- 
ter of  wages  was  not  mentioned,  and  indicated 
my  manifold  duties.  I  was  to  do  chores  of  various 
kinds,  attend  to  a  number  of  horses  and  at  that 
particular  time  help  in  making  hay. 

This  farmer  and  others  in  New  Jersey,  as  I 
have  learned  since,  specialized  in  greenhorns,  and 
there  was  a  nuinber  of  that  species  at  work.  From 
the  older  ones  I  soon  learned  that  the  place  was  a 
new  kind  of  sweat  shop. 

For  some  reason  Maria,  the  housekeeper,  took 
to  me  kindly  and  treated  me  with  the  consideration 
which  a  woman  of  her  class  naturally  shows  a 
University  man.  The  food  the  men  were  com- 
pelled to  eat  was  wretched,  but  there  was  always 
an  especial  dish  for  me,  its  origin  no  doubt  being 
the  boss's  table.  I  had  some  difficulty  in  doing 
the  unaccustomed  chores,  and  the  harnessing  of 
a  horse  usually  involved  me  in  an  entanglement  of 
straps  and  buckles  which  the  boss  always  rewarded 
by  a  lesson  in  very  choice  English  of  the  sort 
which  lost  me  my  first  job. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  I  came  to  this  farm 
half  starved  and  much  discouraged,  but  the  whole- 


m^ 


i 


d?^^i4^^      B^^^^^^^--& 


=?=-:^ 


AN  INVOLUNTAKV  TOLSTOVAN       m 

some  fcxKl  ami   the   work  in  the  ..pen.  although 
hard,  soon  brought  back  .trength  and  courage 

The  shop  vv„rk  had  accustomed  mv  muscles 
to  labour,  but  the  work  on  the  farm  was  much 
harder  and.  on  the  whole,  required  a  kin-1  of  skill 
and  endurance  which  I  did  not  possess. 

I  never  More   realized   how  much   science   is 
necessary  in  the  handling  of  a  havfork.  and  the 
first  time  I  held  that  peaceful  tool  in  mv  hand  I 
recognized  in  it  a  symbol  of  the  Yankee  spirit. 
I  compared  it  with  the  clumsy  affairs  I  had  seen 
•n  Europe.     I  noted  how  every  bit  of  superfluous 
weight  was  eliminated,  and  how  thin  and  shapely 
were  the  prongs,  with  just  the  right  curve  to  hold 
firmly  their  load  and  release  it  easilv.     Not  even 
a  skyscraper  in  later  years  aroused  in  me  so  much 
admiration    for   the   American  as   that    hayfork, 
which,  in  spite  of  its  grace  and  lightness,  raised 
wonderful  blisters   on   my   palms   and   made   me 
ache  so  that  I  could  .scarcely  lie  down. 

Looking  bock  over  the  discipline  of  my  life. 
I  count  that  work  on  the  farm  the  most  useful, 
and  if  I  were  asked  to  reconstruct  the  curriculum 
of  any  university.  I  slmuld  add  to  it  a  stiff  course 
in  Agricultural  Labour. 

To  learn  to  pitch  hay  may  not  be  as  alluring 
to  our  college  youth  as  to  learn  to  pitch  a  ball, 
but  it  is  the  more  useful  exercise,  from  the  moral 


M  FROM   ALIKN  TO  (  ITIZEN 

and    pliybical    siaiKlpuiiit    ccriamly,    while    as    a 
training  for  the  mind  it  may  h^.Ul  undreamed-of 

values. 

To  plunge  the  fork  straight  \nVj  tlic  depths  of 
a  fragrant  mound  wf  hay.  strain  every  muscle  of 
the  body  to  lift  it.  and  when  poised  high  in  air, 
drop  it  just  where  tlie  load  has  need  of  it  and 
ilien  withdraw  the  fork  gently,  so  that  not  a  wisp 
of  hay  be  thrown  down,  is  both  a  graceful  and 
a  useful  art.  To  carry  a  hayfork  on  my  shoulder 
gave  me  a  greater  thrill  than  I  had  ever  received 
from  carrying  the  stuilent's  svvord. 

Blessed  is  the  country  and  safe  from  decadence 
when  shovel  and  hoe,  not  golf  club  and  tennis 
racket,  are  the  insignia  of  the  gentleman ;  although 
unrelieved  toil  may  become  as  degrading  to  the 
mind  and  soul  as  unrelieved  play. 

The  fact  that  the  bed  given  me  was  so  unclean 
that  I  preferred  to  sleep  in  the  barn,  that  the  day 
began  before  sunrise  and  did  not  end  till  long 
after  sunset,  and  that  the  boss  was  a  tyrant,  did 
not  do  much  to  elevate  my  spirit;  fortunately  I 
had  inner  resources  which  defied  those  brutalizing 

influences. 

In  contemplating  that  phase  of  my  life,  which 
I  have  frequently  and  voluntarily  repeated,  I  often 
ask  myself  what  the  association  with  these  rough 
labourers  did  for  me.     I  have  long  ago  come  to 


AN  INVOLLNTARY  TOLSTOY  AN       86 

the  conclusion  that  I  lost  nothing  and  gained 
much.  After  all.  I  found  down  there  at  the  hot- 
torn  real,  fundamental,  human  values. 

One  of  my  co-labourers  was  Heinrich,  an  old 
sailor,  temporarily  thrown  upon  solid  ground.    He 
had  sailed  every  sea  and  knew  every  port  frotti 
Rio  to  London  town.     Me  was  a  bad  man— that 
is,  he  drank  like  a  sailor  who  is  on  shore,  and  al- 
though he  '<new  no  moral  restraint  and  had  seen 
the  inside  of  every  hell  of  which  civilized  cities 
boast,  he  wa.^  ju>t  what  he  was  and  made  no  pre- 
tence at  decency.     But  when  it  came  to  defending 
the  weak,  to  taking  the  heavier  part  of  the  burden 
and  to  straightening  out  the  blunders  of  others, 
he  was  one  of  God's  gentlemen. 

Another  gentleman  by  nature,  if  not  by  birth, 
was  Pete,  a  Swede,  who  had  known  and  seen  but 
little  of  life  and  accepted  hard  labour  as  his  al- 
lotted portion,  against  which  he  never  rebelled. 
There  was  a  great  gulf  between  us.  because  he 
could  say  only  yes  and  no  in  English,  and  I  could 
sav  nothing  in  his  language,  yet  his  serene  nature 
and  uncomplaining  spirit  were  real  contributions  to 
me,  who  lacked  both. 

Then  there  came  drifting  in  every  few  days 
new  greenhorns,  the  flotsam  and  jetsam  of  the 
highway  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  Some  of 
them  were  bad.  very  bad.    One,  a  degenerate  Gcr- 


! 


86 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


man,  e\en  suggested  that  we  kill  flic  boss;  yet 
on  the  whole  they  measured  up  well  with  the  rest 
of  humanity  which  I  iiave  touched  in  various  strata 
of  society.  Indeed,  'hey  were  a  good  deal  more 
honest  and  straightforward  than  many  respeciable 
people,  which  was  perfectly  natural,  for  they  were 
not  playing  a  part  and  were  not  claiming  to  be 
anything  they  were  not,  or  appearing  to  possess 
anything  they  had  not. 

While  I  have  found  human  nature  alike  every- 
where, I  am  inclined  to  say  that  down  at  the  bot- 
tom, where  I  knew  and  touched  it,  one  finds 
it  fundamentally  honest  and  kind. 

The  really  bad  person  was  Maria,  the  house- 
keeper. She  stole  from  the  boss  and  from  us,  all 
that  was  worth  stealing.  She  was  a  genius  at 
lying,  yet  she  was  kind  to  me,  too  kind,  in  fact, 
as  I  discovered  later.  She  borrowed  books  from 
the  boss's  library,  where  they  served  as  an  orna- 
ment. There  was  a  glorious  set  of  Shakespeare  in 
which  I  revelled  on  those  Sundays  when  I  had 
the  leisure,  and  out  of  which  there  came  a  great 
uplift  and  a  marvellous  enrichment  of  my  vocabu- 
lary. 

Here  too  came  to  me  like  a  baptism  of  the 
Spirit,  the  Essays  of  Emerson,  and  the  chapter 
on  "  Compensation  "  I  knew  nearly  all  by  heart.  I 
surely  needed  its  consoling  Dhilo.soohy. 


^mmm: 


}t<^m^:^3^^B^''^^.  -- 


AN  INVOLUNTARY  TOLSTOYAN   87 

Of  course  I  did  not  know  every  word  I  read, 
but  it  is  marvellous  how  many  gaps  may  be  filled 
when  one  reads,  even  with  such  a  limited  vocabu- 
lary as  I  possessed. 

Here  I  also  discovered  a  poet  now  gone  out  of 
fashion— J.  G.  Holland.  His  simple,  direct  and 
somewhat  didactic  poems  made  a  deep  impression 
upon  me.  especially  "  Kathrina,"  which  fitted  well 
into  my  rather  solemn  mood.  There  comes  to  me 
now.  loaded  with  fragrance,  this  stanza  which 
then  meant  much  to  me : 


"  Oh !  feed  and  fire  me.     Fill  and  furnish  me, 
And  if  thou  hast  for  me  some  humble  task, 
Some  service  for  thyself  or  for  thy  own, 
Reveal  it  to  thy  sad,  repentant  child." 

In  return  for  Maria's  numerous  favours  I  had 
to  read  to  her  in  German.  One  day  the  boss  over- 
heard my  reading  and  came  into  the  kitchen.  Al- 
though he  was  angry  because  the  books  were  taken 
from  the  library,  he  questioned  me  in  regard  to 
my  past,  and  when  I  briefly  told  him  my  history, 
he  promised  to  take  me  up  to  the  I'niversity  in 
the  aututnn  and  see  what  he  could  do  for  me. 

Heinrich.  the  sailor,  left  u?  (a?  did  many 
others)  as  soon  as  he  discovered  the  pittance  of 
wage  he  received  at  the  end  of  a  month.     After 


Sf'^''^ 


88 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


he  left,  Maria  presented  me  with  a  pair  of  socks 
which  I  recognized  as  belonging  to  him.  When 
I  refused  to  take  them  she  was  very  much 
offended,  but  made  no  difference  in  her  treatment 
of  me.  The  next  event,  however,  had  much  to 
do  with  my  not  waiting  for  the  autumn  opening 
of  the  University. 

As  I  recall  it  now,  there  was  a  lock  on  the  canal, 
near  that  farm,  and  a  little  house  on  its  shore 
in  which  the  keeper  lived.  To  this  house  Maria 
carried  various  farm  products — chickens,  eggs, 
etc. — and  a  number  of  times  she  employed  me  in 
the  task.  The  lock  keeper  was  an  elderly  German 
who  had  a  dark-eyed,  rather  silly  young  wife 
and  a  boy  whose  name  I  remember,  for  it  was 
Edward,  like  my  own.  Many  an  evening  I  heard 
the  couple  quarrel  and  the  boatmen  laughing  at 
them.  They  seemed  to  me  a  tough  crew  and  drink 
was  very  much  in  evidence. 

One  evening  after  dark  Maria  asked  me  to  carry 
a  pair  of  chickens  to  the  house.  When  I  reached 
it  1  heard  violent  quarrelling.  The  man  threatened 
to  kill  the  woman,  and  the  boy  cried  piteously. 
I  interfered  and  received — what  often  falls  to  the 
lot  of  the  mediator — a  bad  beating.  I  did  rot 
leave  the  chickens,  and  in  carrying  them  back, 
met  the  boss.    When  he  questioned  me  I  told  him 

that    Aiuna   iiUU   oCiil   liic  uu   i;;c  CaianQ. 


Hi 


^^^l^^f^'y^lT-ii-r^j^j*^         i  j| 


AN  INVOLUNTARY  TOLSTOYAN   89 

When  we  ictumed  to  the  house  there  was  a 
stormy  scene  in  the  kitchen,  and  in  the  morning 
my  lucky  star  had  waned. 

My  coffee  tasted  like  water,  the  milk  was 
blue,  the  bread  dry  and  the  butter  rancid.  I  was 
suddenly  deposed  from  the  place  of  favourite  to 
that  of  the  other  labourers.  At  dinner  I  noticed 
a  similar  difference  and  in  the  evening  I  found 
that  my  chief  comfort  and  consolation — the  books 
— were  gone. 

The  chance  of  coming  in  touch  with  the  Uni- 
versity in  the  Fall  kept  me  at  my  post,  although 
each  day  life  grew  more  unbearable.  Maria  was 
a  fiend  at  torture,  and  I  suffered  every  kind  of 
deprivation  and  indignity. 

The  next  Sunday,  not  having  any  books  to  read, 
I  strolled  through  the  cornfield,  down  to  the  canal 
and  past  the  little  house,  up  the  hill  which  leads 
to  Princeton. 

I  do  not  know  now  at  what  point  I  reached  the 
town,  but  I  clearly  remember  the  campus,  at  that 
time  still  delightfully  and  naturally  old-fashioned 
and  distinctly  academic.  It  had  a  winning  look 
and  aroused  all  my  old  ambitions  and  desires.  I 
was  sure  that  somewhere  I  ought  to  be  able  to 
gain  a  foothold  and  climb  again  toward  some- 
thing worth  reaching  after. 


i^^^'-^'f^^^:^mm 


90  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

for  infonnation  was  a  saloon.  It  may  shock  my 
Princeton  friends  to  know  that  a  saloon  was  open 
there  on  the  Sabbath,  but  it  was,  whether 
front  door  or  side  door,  I  do  not  remember.  I 
think  that  saloon  was  directly  opp<Jsite  the  campus. 
It  was  rather  handsomely  furnislicd.  and  one  or 
two  rooms  of  which  I  had  a  glimpse  reminded  me 
of  the  old-fashioned  Kneipe. 

One  thing  which  struck  me  most  forcibly,  but 
which  I  did  not  understand,  althcjugh  I  had  read 
Emerson  and  Shakespeare,  was  a  sign  over  the 
bar  on  which  was  written : 

"  Minors  not  allowed  here." 

I  knew  the  Latin  origin  of  the  word,  and  I  also 
had  in  mind  the  English  word,  miner.  Thus  early 
I  did  injustice  to  the  spirit  of  Princeton  whose  life 
I  first  touched  by  way  of  a  bar-room. 

The  bartender  told  me  that  it  was  vacation  time 
and  Sunday  beside,  and  that  the  college  office  was 
closed,  but  said  I  might  call  on  the  president.  I 
know  I  did  not  walk  very  far  until  I  came  to 
the  president's  house  and  with  a  fast  beating  heart 
rang  the  bell. 

What  if  the  president  were  to  see  me!  What 
should  I  say?  How  could  I  explain  my  plight? 
Would  he  not  drive  mc  from  the  doorstep?  I 
rane  aeain  and  again,  but  there  was  no  answer. 


AN  INVOLUNTARY  TOLSTOYAN   91 

In  fact,  that  door  was  not  opened  to  me  until  a 
quarter  of  a  century  afterwards;  and  before  that 
I  learned  many,  many  thinps  not  found  in  the 
curriculum  of  Princeton  University  or  any  other. 


L 


ife 


IX 

WESTWARD  HO! 


THE  dignity  of  man's  labour  seems  to  have 
a  boundary  line  where  indignity  begins.  I 
think  it  lies  somewhere  in  the  mysterious 
region  where  his  work  ends  and  woman's  work 
commences.  I  was  especially  sensitive  at  this 
period,  and  all  manual  tasks  seemed  more  or  less 
menial. 

Work  in  the  stable  was  always  disagreeable,  but 
I  had  reached  tlie  point  where  I  could  manage 
to  do  my  various  chores  unaided.  I  harnessed  the 
horses  with  less  difficulty,  and  although  ploughing 
corn  was  irksome,  there  was  some  exhilaration  in 
it,  especially  when  the  task  was  finished. 

Suddenly  I  wa^  thrust  from  the  stable  into  the 
kitchen,  the  soiuid  aflfairs  of  the  cook  being  the 
cause.  One  morning  on  returning  from  my  chores 
i  found  the  kitchen  cold  and  no  breakfast  await- 
ing us.  Maria  had  fled  with  the  lock  keeper.  They 
took  many  things  not  belonging  to  them  and  left 
behind  the  poor  lad.  whose  mother  also  had  dis- 
anneared  with  one  of  the  bargemen.     The  child 

92  " 


^:mm^  .mm^rn^ 


WESTWARD  HO! 


9S 


came  over  to  the  house  hungry  and  only  partly 
dressed,  and  so  we  easily  established  the  relation 
of  the  two  fugitives. 

Thus  suddenly  was  I  installed  as  nurse  and 
cook.  I  had  little  difficulty  with  the  boy,  who 
was  a  very  lovable  child  and  made  himself  quite 
useful,  but  all  the  horrors  of  that  unhappy  period 
seemed  to  reach  their  climax  when  I  had  to 
cook. 

I  never  felt  that  I  had  fallen  quite  so  low  as 
when  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  myself  in  the  billowy 
mirror  which  hung  over  the  wash  basin.  I 
scarcely  recognized  myself  with  a  kitchen  apron 
tied  clumsily  around  me  and  the  marks  of  my 
calling  covering  me  from  head  to  foot. 

I  had  left  my  mother  ignorant  of  the  straits 
I  was  in,  and  had  she  seen  me  attempting  to  mix 
dough  for  biscuits  or  beat  eggs  into  an  omelette 
she  would  have  wept,  or  more  likely  she  might 
have  laughed,  for  I  must  have  been  a  ridiculous 
looking  object. 

I  do  not  know  how  the  men  stood  my  kitchen 
regime  as  long  as  they  did;  but  my  joy  was  great 
when  one  morning  the  boss  told  me  that  he  was 
going  to  the  city  to  fetch  a  new  cook.  I  took  him 
to  the  station  and  was  to  meet  him  in  the  evenin?; 
in  the  meanwhile  I  was  more  than  busy  making 
the  kitchen  presentable  for  the  new  incumbent. 


^?5^-<^^5jfVAi.-^^r^^;t. 


Ili 


^v 


■:^:^:-mw 


Uf-l-jK- 


94 


raOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


I  scrubbed  the  floor,  the  bitterest  and  most  pain- 
ful task  I  have  ever  done,  and  I  am  fully  confident 
that  in  the  curse  of  labour  put  upon  our  first  par- 
ents, scrubbing  floors  was  never  intended  for  the 
more  innocent  man.  I  could  not  understand  then, 
nor  do  I  now,  how  a  person  can  keep  from  being 
drowned  in  soapsuds,  or  how  to  clean  the  spot 
ui)on  which  one's  body  lies  prostrate,  when  all 
around  has  been  inundated.  The  floor  was  finally 
clean  in  spots,  although  the  whole  room  seemed 
water-soaked  and  the  atmosphere  was  full  of 
moisture. 

When  the  train  came  I  was  at  the  station.  The 
boss  alighted,  and  after  a  number  of  bandboxes 
liad  been  handed  down,  a  woman  followed.  The 
boss  waived  the  formality  of  an  introduction.  The 
new  comer  seated  herself  beside  me  on  the  wagon 
and  immediately  I  was  enveloped  in  odours  sug- 
gesting whiskey. 

Maggie,  as  the  boss  called  her,  did  not  prove 
to  be  the  blessing  I  had  anticipated.  She  was  a 
fiery-tempered  Irishwoman,  more  often  drunk 
than  sober.  One  morning  when  her  drunken  sleep 
lasted  longer  than  usual,  the  boss  ordered  me  to 
the  kitchen  to  take  her  place.  When  I  refused,  I 
was  summarily  dismis.scd. 

Since  then  I  have  travelled  that  road  with  other 
greenhorns  who  have   felt  the  cruelty  of  these 


WESTWARD  HO: 


95 


sweat  farms,  as  I  call  them.  I  understand  how 
they  suffered,  but  I  doubt  that  any  of  them  were  as 
near  broken-hearted  as  I.  My  eyes  were  fixed  on 
Princeton,  and  I  believed  that  there  lay  my  salva- 
tion. 

Now  I  was  again  upon  the  road,  homeless,  with 
but  ten  dollars  in  my  pocket,  for  the  boss  was  not 
very  generous  with  his  wages.  Before  I  left  that 
region  I  once  more  climbed  the  hill  to  Princeton 
and  rang  the  bell  of  the  president's  house.  Again 
no  door  was  opened,  so  I  left  the  town  and  walked 
toward  the  West. 

I  had  not  gone  very  far  v.hen  a  peddler  over- 
took me.  He  was  a  young  Russian  Jew  who,  by 
dispensing  tinware  among  the  farmers  of  New 
Jersey,  was  beginning  to  climb  toward  the  capital- 
istic class.  He  pictured  in  'flowing  terms  the 
pleasure  and  profit  of  his  business  and  offered  me 
a  partnership  in  exchange  for  my  capital.  He 
sent  me  into  a  number  of  places  to  test  my  skill 
as  a  salesman,  but  I  failed  to  sell  a  single  piece 
of  tinware  and  was  much  discouraged  and  very 
tired  when  we  reached  Trenton.  We  went  to  a 
German  hotel  and  had  supper  together.  Then  I 
went  to  see  the  city.  I  remember  standing  before 
the  W'ashington  Monument  and  trying  my  fast 
growing  knowledge  of  English  on  the  inscrip- 
tion. 


•* 


i^--.-*^faias-tvm: 


-ipfi^VP*^ 


96  I-llOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

The  next  morning  I  was  awakened  to  the  fact 
that  I  was  not  destined  to  be  a  merchant  prince. 
My  partner  had  gone,  leaving  behind  him  the  stock, 
but  taking  the  entire  capital  of  the  new  member 
of  the  firm.  I  carried  the  tinware  from  Trenton 
almost  to  Philadelphia,  venturing  into  several 
places  to  offer  it  fur  sale,  but  without  success. 
When  I  reached  Philadelphia  the  next  day  I  had 
a  few  dollars  in  my  pocket,  having  sr>ld  all  the 
stock  of  the  late  firm  to  the  hotel  keeper  in  a  small 
town  en  route. 

I  arrived  in  the  "  City  of  Brotherly  Love  "  about 
noon.  I  remember  that  the  City  Hall  was  in  proc- 
ess of  construction,  which  fact  leaves  the  date  of 
my  arrival  very  uncertain,  for  that  building  was  a 
long  time  being  erected.  I  recall  the  fact  that 
the  gigantic  figure  of  William  Penn  was  safely 
poise. J  upon  its  pinnacle,  and  that  he  looked  down 
benignly  upon  me.  I  knew  no  one  in  Phila- 
delphia and  no  one  knew  me.  I  walked  miles  and 
miles  through  the  inner  city,  looking  for  one  great 
treasure  which  I  knew  it  held— the  Liberty  Bell. 
I  am  not  easily  affected  by  the  sight  of  relics, 
but  this  bell  which  rang  out  freedom  for  a  nation 
moved  me  mightily,  although  it  stood  mute  upon 
its  pedestal. 

I  felt  enriched  as  I  walked  to  the  railroad  sta- 
tion through  those  rather   friendly  streets  with 


WESTWARD  HO! 


97 


their  white  stoops  and  quaint  doorways.  I  do  not 
remeiTiber  how  much  money  I  had,  but  I  staked  it 
all  up<jn  a  railroad  ticket,  westward. 

Late  at  night  the  conductor  came  running  to 
me  and  demanded  to  know  why  I  did  not  get  off  at 
the  last  station  which,  he  said,  was  my  destination. 
I  told  him  frankly  that  I  really  had  no  destination 
except  to  go  West,  as  far  as  my  money  would 
carry  me.  At  that  he  grew  very  angry  and  pulled 
the  bell  cord.  The  train  stopped  and  he  landed 
me  rather  roughly  upon  a  lonely  spot  in  the  heart 
of  the  Keystone  State. 

That  night,  which  I  expected  to  spend  under 
the  stars,  I  slept  in  a  feather  bed  and  dreamed  that 
I  was  at  home  again,  that  I  could  hear  the  murmur 
of  the  river  and  the  watchman's  blatant  horn 
blowing  solemnly  the  hours.  When  I  awoke,  al- 
though I  was  among  strangers,  I  was  enveloped 
by  the  home  feeling,  for  I  was  among  Christians 
of  the  most  primitive  type,  who  had  opened  to  me 
their  door  that  night  and  shown  the  most  generous 
hospitality. 

I  was  wakened  by  the  man  of  the  house.  His 
queer  garb,  held  together  by  hooks  and  eyes,  as- 
tonished me,  and  his  general  appearance  was  cer- 
tainly peculiar.  He  took  me  into  the  kitchen  where 
the  most  generous  breakfast  I  had  ever  seen  cov- 
ered the  whole  table.    I  remember  vividly  that  the 


98  FHOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

/)»Vcc-  (li-  riustamc  was  apple  pie,  and  it  was  never 

niisbinK  fr^J'"  i"')'  ''"*^^'- 

1  he  nii^trc.s  of  the  liousc  was  as  gentle  as  her 
husband  There  was  an  atmosphere  uf  spiritual 
dignit)  abuut  her.  and  although  she  could  barely 
read  and  write,  she  was  a  cultured  woman.  She 
possessed  a  refinement  of  body  and  soul  which 
only  one  school  can  impart— the  school  of  service 
and  renunciation— the  school  of  the  Cross.  The 
children  were  young,  reverent  and  obedient.  I 
soon  had  them  around  me— which  has  always  been 
a  sort  of  triumph  for  me  and  still  is. 

It  was  the  time  of  work  in  the  tobacco  fields, 
and  I  was  engaged  to  help.    Life  in  the  home  was 
somber  and  solemn,  but  it  quite  captivated  me,  al- 
though it  was  narrow  and  there  was  no  window 
open   toward   the   world      The   long   periods   of 
Bible  reading  and  prayer  were  often  dull,  but  they 
were  genuine.     The  father  was  the  Priest  of  the 
Household, he  ruled  it  justly  and  governed  by  kind- 
ness. The  truth  was  spoken  bluntly  and  the  yea  and 
nay  were  never  qualified.  To  work  beside  that  man 
was  an  inspiration,  and  we  had  many  lively  dis- 
cussions upon  religious  subjects.     I  was  in  that 
unhappy  period   when    faith   was  dissolved   in  a 
reckless  sort  of  rationalism,  ard  I  boasted  of  my 
unbelief.     He  never  grew  angry  and  never  re- 
proved me.    I  went  with    the  family  to  the  meet- 


wm^M 


^^^^ 


WESTWARD  HO! 


99 


ing  house,  where  1  was  envelc^pcd  by  silence, 
where  my  soul  was  probed  by  the  spirit,  ami  I 
heard  men  and  wf)men  speak  of  the  power  of  re- 
ligion over  their  lives. 

I  am  sure  Tolstoy  would  have  been  happy  in 
that  atmosphere.  I  often  thought  of  him  anrl 
talked  about  him  to  my  employer  and  his  friends. 

As  eadi  day  closed  I  felt  it  to  have  been  a  com- 
plete day.  I  worked  hard,  yet  without  dulling  my 
intellect  or  degrading  my  spirit.  I  went  to  bed 
with  the  blessing  of  the  household  priest  upon  mc 
and  rose  without  fear  of  what  the  day  would 
bring. 

I  am  wondering  why  this  type  of  religion  which 
is  not  a  religion  of  the  church  or  temple,  but 
of  the  home,  is  losing  its  hold.  It  seemed  to  mc 
and  still  seems  to  me  to  be  Christianity  at  its  l)est. 
In  fact.  I  do  not  believe  that  Christianity  can  sur- 
vive unless  the  fatiier  again  becomes  the  priest 
and  the  home  the  church  and  temple. 

I  am  sure  I  should  have  stayed  with  these  good 
people  had  they  not  been  quite  so  removed  from 
the  world.  I  loved  beauty,  they  shunned  it ;  I  was 
buoyant,  happy  and  demonstrative,  they  were  sol- 
emn and  cold  and  frowned  upon  outer  manifesta- 
tions of  joyousness:  I  had  seen  the  world  and 
found  it  good,  they  had  not  seen  it  and  thotiplit 
it  evil;  they  were  born  upon  the  soil  and  loved  it. 


100  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

while  I  was  merely  an  hireling  who  worked  for  a 
wage  and  was  waiting  for  the  day  of  emai.cipation. 
Moreover,  t'  ey  had  faith  in  God  and  I  had  none, 
although  I  did  believe  with  all  my  heart  in  the 
goodness  of  humanity. 

I  left  them  late  in  the  autumn,  undecided  what 
to  do— whether  to  return  East  and  try  again  to 
have  the  door  at  Princeton  opened  to  me,  or  go 
West.  There  was  a  magic  power  in  that  phrase 
which  lingered  in  my  mind :  "  Go  West,  young 
man."  and  I  succumbed  to  it. 

My  host  blessed  me  as  I  left  him. 

"  Der  Fricdc  set  mit  dir." 

"  Peace  be  with  thee  ";  but  I  had  a  long  and 
hard  journey  to  take  in  the  quest. 


PITTSBURGH  THEN  AND  NOW 

IN  Pittsburgh,  rising  above  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  Station,  is  a  splendid  boulevard. 
From  this  height  one  has  a  magnificent  view 
of  the  winding  river,  the  far-spreading,  ill-shaped 
city  and  its  houses  clinging  to  the  steep  hillsides. 
On  a  clear  day  one  may  almost  look  into  the  flam- 
ing centre  of  those  huge,  craterlike  steel  mills 
which  dot  the  landscape. 

Not  long  ago  I  was  taking  this  drive  in  a  luxuri- 
ous limousine.  My  friends  were  eager  to  point 
out  the  beauty  spots,  the  superb  residences  with 
their  far-stretching  lawns,  the  churches  and  mu- 
seums; but  I  knew  too  much  of  the  great  price 
paid  for  it  all  to  joy  therein. 

Artists  have  been  inspired  by  the  dense  clouds 
of  smoke  and  huge  pillars  of  fire  reflected  in  the 
murky  river;  but  to  me  it  is  a  vast,  confused 
battlefield,  without  order  and  without  beauty. 

As  we  glided  on  in  the  softly  cushioned  car,  I 
studied  the  outline  of  the  river  and  imagined  I 
could  see  the  very  mill  in  which  I  worked  some 
twenty-eight  vears  ago.    I  am  told  that  it  is  one 

iOi 


102 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


of  Mr.  Carnegie's  oldest  plants.  I  did  not  know 
then  that  1  was  iitlping  to  lay  the  foundations  of 
a  colohsal  fortune,  to  be  used  in  many  splendid 
ways  for  tlic  public  good;  for  at  that  time  I  was 
merely  one  of  the  "  cattle,"  as  a  certain  "  captain 
of  industry  "  expressed  it  the  very  day  of  the 
drive. 

It  was  uch  a  day  as  this  ^i  my  recent  motor 
ride  when  I  first  saw  Pittsburgh,  and  as  we  rolled 
along  I  recalled  it  in  a  dim  sort  of  Way.  The 
moisture  turned  to  snow,  and  the  snow  to  slush, 
a  wet,  smoky  curtain  hung  above,  making  the 
air  cold  and  chill.  Only  then  I  had  no  fur-lined 
overcoat,  and  being  one  of  the  "  cattle,"  I  was  not 
taken  about  in  a  limousine. 

The  first  time  I  arrived  in  Pittsburgh  I  remem- 
ber crawling  over  the  muddy  bank  of  a  river  into 
a  chaotic  street,  looking  for  an  Employment 
Agency  and  a  job — a  gentleman's  job,  if  possible. 
But  Pittsburgh  had  as  little  use  for  my  treatise  on 
philology  as  New  York  had,  and  before  all  my 
money  was  exhausted  I  was  at  work  in  a  steel 
mill. 

Fortunately,  in  those  days  the  system  of  speed- 
ing had  not  yet  developed  to  the  point  when  it  was 
known  exactly  how  many  movements  of  the  body 
are  necessary  to  accomplish  a  certain  task.    I  know, 


PITTSBURGH  THEN  AND  NOW      103 


aded  yard  I  grappled  with  countless  bars  of  crude 
iron;  that  I  strained  and  lilted  and  released  them, 
doing  what  I  was  bid  to  do.  not  knowing  what 
ends  my  labour  served. 

When  noon  came,  my  back  was  so  sore  that  I 
could  not  straigliten  it,  and  my  fingers  were  torn 
and  bleeding.  The  foreman  saw  that  I  could  not 
stand  ihe  strain  of  the  task,  and  in  the  afternoon 
put  "•  e  at  much  easier,  if  more  dangerous  work  in 
the  mill. 

I  merely  pushed  a  huge,  hot  caldron  from  a 
room  in  which  the  temperature  was  over  two 
hundred,  into  a  broad,  cold  shed,  thus  travelling 
constantly  between  the  equator  and  the  polar  re- 
gions. I  believe  I  suffered  no  serious  discomfort; 
for  I  was  young  and  life's  juices  were  running 
full.  It  was  a  hard  job,  nevertheless,  and  as  it 
grew  colder  I  often  had  the  experience  of  my 
hands  being  parched  from  heat  while  my  feet  were 
nearly  frozen. 

Although  this  work  was  fatiguing,  it  was  not  as 
monotonous  as  it  sounds.  I  saw  the  gigantic 
smelters,  while  the  golden  glow  of  molten  metal, 
with  its  ever  changing,  wonderful  colours,  ap- 
pealed to  my  artistic  sense,  and  I  really  enjoyed 
chatting  with  the  burly  men  who  stood  guard  over 
the  fires. 

The  end  of  the  day,  when  the  work  was  over. 


10*  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

proved,  after  all,  the  hardest  period.  All  my 
senses  seemed  to  go  to  sleep  at  once  as  soon  as 
the  strain  was  over,  and  then,  indeed,  I  was  just 
one  of  the  "  cattle  " — a  dull,  dumb  brute,  ready 
to  be  fed  and  lie  down  to  sleep.  The  worst  fea- 
ture of  this  type  of  physical  labour  is  not  that  it 
is  hard  and  dangerous.  Both  facts  bring  a  cer- 
tain exaltation,  but  it  is  the  complete  exhaustion 
which  follows  the  long  hours,  and  the  dullness 
which  finally  cracps  into  a  man's  mind  and 
soul. 

On  the  recent  day  of  which  I  have  spoken,  at 
a  noon  conference  and  luncheon  in  which  this 
subject  was  discussed,  an  employer  of  labour  was 
quoted  as  saying  that  it  is  useless  to  try  to  do  any- 
thing for  these  people,  for  they  do  not  appreciate 
it  and  do  not  use  opportunities  which  are  offered 
them.  That,  unfortunately,  is  sad  truth  in  many 
cases.  If,  at  the  close  of  a  ten  hour  day's  work 
in  a  steei  mill  I  had  been  offered  a  ticket  to  a 
Symphony  concert  or,  in  fact,  anything  except  a 
good  supper  and  a  bed.  I  would  not  have  accepted 
it;  although  my  mind  and  soul  were  still  hungry 
for  the  best  things,  and  I  was  sure  I  must  climb 
out  of  the  pit. 

Worse,  however,  than  the  hard  work  and  long 
hours  is  the  boarding  house,  an  institution  which 
has  erown  worse  rather  than  better  in  these  later 


TT^TfTi 


PITTSBURGH  THEN  AND  NOW      106 

days.  The  crowded,  stuffy  rooms,  the  unaired 
beds  and  the  unrelieved  ugliness  of  the  surround- 
ings are  a  poor  preparation  for  the  next  day's 
work.  I  am  sure  that  it  would  increase  the  effi- 
ciency of  the  worker  if  these  hoarding  houses  were 
supervised,  with  a  view  to  the  men's  health  and 
comfort. 

It  is  not  true  that  men  choose  to  live  as  they  do 
in  Pittsburgh.  Wherever  an  honest  effort  has 
been  made  to  provide  better  accommodations,  and 
foresight  has  been  exercised  explaining  the  more 
complicated  machinery  of  our  civilization — such 
as  closets  and  baths — they  have  been  eagerly  ac- 
cepted. Very  often  these  "  cattle  "  have  gladly 
paid  their  hard-earned  money  for  such  commodi- 
ties. 

In  a  number  of  cases  I  have  advised  baths  prop- 
erly placed  in  boarding  houses,  and  invariably  I 
was  met  by  this  accepted  theory,  that  the  men  are 
but  cattle  and  their  standard  of  living  -^o  low  that 
they  do  not  care  for  a  bath.  Yet  in  nearly  all  cases 
where  my  advice  was  followed,  the  tething  ca- 
pacity had  to  be  increased. 

This  is  true  of  every  experiment  which  has 
been  made  for  the  improvement  of  housing  con- 
ditions, although  of  course  patience  had  to  he 
exercised  and  an  educational  propaganda  inaugu- 
rated. 


106 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


The  American  people  have  taken  it  for  granted 
that  a  standard  of  living  is  a  biological  inheritance. 
and  that  in  the  Divine  economy  the  American  was 
born  with  a  passion  for  Colonial  houses,  atitomo- 
bilcs  and  lap  and  water,  while  the  immigrant 
came  into  the  world  fond  of  hovels,  dirt  and  wheel- 
barrows. The  American  forgets  that  the  average 
boy,  even  thougii  he  have  a  long  ancestry  used 
to  an  abundance  of  soap  and  water,  has  to  go 
through  a  painful  period  of  apprenticeship.  Many 
of  my  readers  will  remember,  no  doubt,  that  be- 
fore the  daily  bath  was  deemed  a  necessity,  the 
thought  of  the  weekly  or  semi-weekly  scrubbing 
brought  anything  but  joy  in  its  anticipation. 

A  standard  of  living  is  dependent  upon  certain 
economic  factors,  and  upon  the  standard  main- 
tained within  the  group  in  which  one  has  been 
placed,  and  much  which  we  accept  as  essential 
to  our  well-being  is,  like  the  eating  of  olives,  to 
many  people  an  acquired  taste. 

There  is  a  serious  complaint  in  Pittsburgh  and 
its  vicinity  that  the  working  men  look  with  sus- 
picion upon  any  phase  of  welfare  work  instituted 
by  employers  of  labour.  This  suspicion  is  justified 
and  for  good  reasons. 

Steel  mill  corporations  and  mining  companies 
have  never  been  known  to  be  benevolently  in- 
clined, and  the  agencies  they   have    fostered   in 


PITTSBURGH  THEN  AND  NOW     107 

their  camps  and  patches  have  been  used  for  the 
exploitation  of  the  workers. 

That  execrable  institution,  the  Co.npany  Store, 
flourishes  in  Pennsylvania,  and.  contrary  to  the 
law.  there  is  a  compulsion  put  upon  the  workers 
to  buy  provisions  from  their  employers. 

Very  casually,  without  the  slightest  twinge  of 
conscience,  a  coal  operator  told  me  that  hucksters 
and  peddlers  arc  not  permitted  in  his  camp,  and 
that  his  foreman  has  orders  to  drive  away,  if 
need  be  with  a  gun,  the  delivery  wagon  of  the  in- 
dependent grocer. 

The  experiences  of  the  miners  in  Westmore- 
land County  have  not  increased  their  confidence 
in  their  employers.  Everything  was  capitalized 
for  the  benefit  of  the  employer,  even  the  water 
thev  drank.  Incredible  as  it  may  sound,  I  have 
it  upon  indisputable  authority  that  drinking  water 
was  refused  to  fever-stricken  miners  and  to 
woinen  in  childbirth  because  there  was  a  strike  on. 

Small  wonder,  then,  that  every  dole  dealt  is 
looked  upon  as  if  it  were  a  baited  trap,  and  it 
will  be  a  long  time  before  suspicion  is  replaced 
by  confidence. 

True,  there  is  a  change  of  attitude  toward  these 
"  cattle  " ;  but  in  many  cases  it  arises  from  fear 
of  their  awakened  strength,  rather  than  from  any 
confidence  in  them,  or  love  for  them. 


108 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


It  was  a  bitter  winter  for  me  in  that  steel 
mill  in  Pittsburgh;  not  so  much  because  of  the 
hard  labour  and  the  small  wage,  as  because  of 
my  utter  isolation  and  the  fact  that  no  man  had 
faith  in  me  and  in  my  kind.  Conditions  are  differ- 
ent now,  and  if  I  have  had  any  share  in  making 
them  so,  then  I  rejoice  in  my  suffering. 

For  a  quarter  of  a  century  in  Pittsburgh  and 
around  it,  where  men  have  crowded  these  "  cattle  " 
and  used  them  and  bruised  them,  I  have  said  that 
they  have  large  human  value;  but  no  one  would 
believe  it.  Gradually,  though,  even  Pittsburgh  is 
waking  to  the  fact  that  there  arc  human  values 
in  these  crude  folk,  and  that  all  they  need  is  the 
opponunity  to  develop  them.  Just  as  they  are 
beginning  to  pick  wealth  from  the  heaps  of  refuse 
at  the  mouth  of  the  mine,  so  the  glint  of  gold  is 
appearing  among  the  masses  of  these  men,  and 
my  predictions  regarding  thorn  are  being  ful- 
filled. 

It  took  a  long  time  and  it  came  in  a  very 
roundabout  way.  Five  years  ago  I  said  to  the 
Y.M.C.A.  of  Pennsylvania;  "Give  me  your 
best  young  men  and  let  me  take  them  to  the 
homes  of  these  people  across  the  ocean.  Let  them 
see  these  '  cattle '  under  normal  conditions,  let 
them  live  in  their  homes  and  touch  them  in  their 
daily  live';,   ?.ee  the  best  and  the  worst  of  them 


■  1r  '-  -. 


■--■fi-yy:' 


PITTSBURGH  THEN  AND  NOW      109 

and  learn  a  few  snatches  of  their  speech,  so  that 
they  may  be  able  to  unlock  the  closed  doors  of 
mind  and  heart." 

I  took  six  men  with  me  and  we  travelled  through 
the  whole  of  the  immigrant  territory  together.  It 
was  an  itinerant  sort  of  university.  We  studied 
the  history  and  language  of  the  people,  we  slept 
in  their  homes  and  ate  their  food,  played  with 
their  boys  and  girls,  learned  to  sing  their  songs 
and  taught  them  ours.  Then  the  men  returned  to 
this  country. 

Located  in  Pittsburgh  is  Harlow  McCon- 
naughey,  who  interprets  to  the  foreigners  in  his 
own  personality  the  best  type  of  American.  As 
his  name  indicates,  he  is  Irish,  having  retained 
the  Celt's  enthusiasm  and  good  nature,  and  combin- 
ing with  it  the  Yankee's  ability  and  good  sei;se.  He 
interprets  to  the  people  of  Pittsburgh  the  values 
he  has  found  in  the  men  who  toil  for  them  and 
whom  they  have  always  regarded  as  "cattle." 
He  is  the  mediator  between  the  two.  having  the 
full  confidence  of  both.  He  teaches  English,  hygi- 
ene and  good  citizenship  to  the  foreigners  and 
respect    and   love    for   them    to  the    Americans. 

He  has  gained  the  full  confidence  of  the  foreign 
press,  which  co-operates  with  him.  The  foreign 
clergy,  always  the  hardest  to  reach,  has.  in  many 
cases,  yielded  to  his  genuine  appeal.    The  fact  that 


110 


FHOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


he  has  been  abroad  and  has  gained  a  sympathetic 
insiglit  into  the  life  there,  helps  linn  not  a  little. 

One  of  his  recent  experiences  dhiNtrates  this 
point.  In  trying  to  establish  school.s  for  the  teach- 
ing of  English  he  came  to  a  di.->trict  dominated 
by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  and  Us  young,  in- 
experienced Slovak  priest. 

ile  did  not  understand  the  English  appeal  and 
suspected  that  Mr.  McConnaughey  was  an  officer 
of  the  law.  At  the  psychological  nv.ment  this 
Irish-American  told  the  priest  in  Slovak  that  he 
had  been  in  his  country  and  in  the  town  in  which 
he  was  born.  Immediately  the  contact  was  made 
and  the  permisbion  readily  granted. 

In  a  similar  way  at  Wilmerding.  a  suburb  of 
Pittsburgh,  another  one  of  my  "  hoys."  as  1  love 
to  call  them,  Mr.  E.  E.  Bohner.  has  established  a 
Welfare  Club,  modelled  after  the  V.M.C..\.  In 
this  organization  a  dozen  nationalities  are  broth- 
ered  and  are  growing,  not  only  toward  a  higher 
standard  of  living,  but  also  toward  a  higher  con- 
ception of  citizenship  and  manhood.  Mr.  Bohner. 
too,  is  a  typical  American  of  mixed  ancestry  in 
which  Pennsylvania  Dutch  predominates. 

Genuinely  human  and  in  love  with  all  that  is 
human,  he  has  become  the  brother  of  Serbs,  Croa- 
tians,  Italians  and  Poles,  until  the  Welfare 
Club,  with  its  whole  queer  mixture,  is  like  a  great 


ii^AiM 


PITTSBT'RC.H  THEN  AND  NOW      111 

smehor  fcir  the  refining  uf  dross  and  the  unifying 
of  various  elements.  Its  brass  band  keeps  in  tunc, 
although  nearly  each  instrument  is  played  by  a 
man  of  a  (htlercnt  nationality. 

Thus  the  whole  discordant  life  of  thi>  indus- 
trial community  is  brought  into  harmony,  be- 
cause one  man  has  learned  that  these  people  are 
brothers  and  will  respond  to  the  best  that  is  offered 
them,  if  it  comes  in  the  spirit  of  the  unselfish 
Christ. 

What  is  being  done  by  these  men  and  other 
agencies  is,  after  all.  very  little;  but  a  beginning 
has  been  made.  Pittsburgh  is  learning  to  take 
note  of  the  stranger  within  its  gates,  and  my 
faith  in  my  brothers  of  the  steel  mills  is  being 
vindicated. 


XI 


JUSTIFIED  FAITH 

NOWHERE  have  I  found  humanity  in  a 
worse  state  than  in  the  Pittsburgh  board- 
ing house,  where  I  was  one  of  twenty  who 
shared  two  hving-rooms.  in  whicli  there  was  not 
the  simplest  appHance  for  the  common  decencies. 

In  fact,  it  did  seem  to  me  many  a  time  that  we 
were  juSt  "cattle,"'  for  life  was  merely,  as  one 
of  them  expressed  it,  "  work,  eat,  drink,  getta 
drunk,  go  to  sleep." 

Many  of  the  men  had  to  work  seven  days  in 
the  week,  and  although  by  that  they  were  oitci. 
saved  the  Sunday  "  drunk  "  and  fight,  the  monot- 
ony and  grind  of  the  ceaseless  drudgery  were  as 
deadening  and  degrading  as  the  weekly  spree 
might  have  been.  At  that  time  the  immigrant 
had  not  yet  brought  with  him  his  priest  and  his 
church,  so  that  Sunday  was  not  the  call  to  his 
soul  which  it  has  now  become. 

The  appeals  to  decency  were  heeded,  especially 

when  they  meant  following  American  standards, 

many  of  which  I  brought  the  men  from  the  larger 

world  that  I  touched  through  the  newspapers. 

112 


JUSTIFIED  FAITH 


IIS 


Unfortunately,  following  American  standards 
meant  to  most  of  us  the  standards  of  the  group 
immediately  above  us.  In  this  case  it  was  made 
up  of  a  tough  class  of  Irishmen  who  were  the 
skilled  labourers  \vh(jm  we  were  displacing  at  the 
coarser  work. 

The  first  American  exercise  which  crept  into 
the  boarding  house  was  boxing.  I  had  no  small 
share  in  developing  the  science  of  fighting,  and 
the  one  American  name  which  came  most  fre- 
quently to  our  lips  was  John  L.  Sullivan,  at  that 
time  the  rising  star  in  the  fistic  firmament. 

To  the  more  progressive  among  us  the  saloon 
became  a  source  of  attraction.  It  was.  in  fact, 
thi.  only  place  open  to  us  which  brought  us  in 
touch  with  the  life  and  stai.dards  of  the  class 
whose  former  places  we  were  occupying.  I  owe  it 
to  my  innate  distaste  for  alcohol  r-r.d  to  ihc  high 
ideals  of  my  youth,  not  quite  gone  to  sleep,  that 
I  did  not  embark  in  the  saloon  business. 

I  had  a  fine  offer  from  a  German  saloonkeeper 
to  start  a  branch  establishment.  He  expatiated  in 
alluring  terms  upon  the  advantages  of  the  busi- 
ness, but  I  remained  firm  in  my  refusal  to  accept 
his  oflfer. 

It  is  characteristic  of  the  tendency  to  imitate 
the  displaced  group,  that  certain  Slovaks  and  Poles 
dress  in  ultra-American  fashion,  hang  around  the 


114.  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

saloons  unc]  become  generally  sporty.  In  Pitts- 
burgh tu  this  day  they  are  called  Irish  Slovaks  or 
Irish   I'olaks. 

Gradually  the  immigrant  leains  to  distinguish 
between  the  lower  and  higher  type  of  American, 
and  at  the  present  time  my  contemporaries  of 
that  Pittsburgh  period  are  under  the  sway  of  the 
best  American  ideals. 

The  Slavonic  National  Society,  formed  twenty- 
three  years  ago,  has  contributed  a  great  deal 
toward  that  end,  and  its  Year-Book,  recently  pub- 
lished, marks  the  distance  which  these  pioneers 
have  travelled  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  century. 
Unfortunately,  it  is  in  the  Slovak  language,  else  it 
might  be  reviewed  by  Pittsburgh  papers.  If  it 
were,  I  am  confident  that  it  would  be  declared  the 
best   literary   output   of  that   rather  materialistic 

city. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  look  at  the  artistic  cover,  and 
although  the  advertisements  which  follow  are 
largely  for  saloons,  patent  medicine  vendors  and 
banks,  the  varying  and  growing  needs  of  these 
people  are  shown  by  the  announcements  of  n.  :- 
chant  tailors,  land  agents,  schools  for  the  study  of 
English,  f^ag  and  badge  ma.ccrs.  The  advertise- 
ments for  artificial  limbs  call  attention  to  the  dan- 
gerous occupations  in  which  they  engage.  Many 
of  the  illustrations  are  copies  of  Slovak  art  and 


JUSTIFIED  FAITH 


115 


are  splendid  reproductions  in  colour.  It  would  be 
a  distinct  shock  to  my  Pittsburgh  friends  to  know 
that  these  common  folk  appreciate  the  fine  pictures 
which  their  brothers  have  painted  and  that  they 
read  poetry  which  their  bards  have  written  for 
them.  I  am  not  praising  the  book  becau'^e  the 
editor  has  given  the  place  of  honour  to  an  appreci- 
ation of  my  work  for  the  Slovak  people,  yet  it 
gratifies  me  more  than  any  other  such  expression 
I  have  ever  received. 

Many  pages  are  devoted  to  a  civic  catechism 
which  is  admirable,  but  the  article  which  impresses 
me  most  is  one  on  "  Etikette  "  in  America.  Imag- 
ine, if  you  can,  my  fellow-labourers  in  Mr. 
Carnegie's  steel  mill  studying  American  etiquette. 

"  "^tiss  Hancis.  permit  me  to  introduce  Mr. 
Klobuk." 

Then  Mr.  Klobuk  is  told  that  he  must  say : 

"  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  meet  you." 
Should  he  not  quite  get  the  name,  he  is  instructed 

to  say: 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  I  did  not  catch  the  name." 
Mr.  Klobuk  is  also  told  that  he  must  not  intro- 
duce to  his  sister  any  man  who  does  not  have  a 
good  reputation  or  one  of  poor  character,  for 
it  would  be  very  disagreeable  to  Mi-s  Klobuk  to 
have  to  recogni/c  such  a  man  on  the  street.  He 
is   also   enlightened    regarding   the   sacred   cere- 


s 


116  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

monial  of  the  daily  meeting,  Good-morning,  Gocxi- 
day  and  Good-evening. 

"It  is  not  nice  for  a  young  man  to  stop  a 
young  lady  on  the  street  and  talk  to  her  for  any 
length  of  lime,  for  it  might  reflect  upon  her 
character.  Moreover,  a  man  must  not  greet  a 
lady  on  the  street.  In  America  it  is  her  preroga- 
tive to  recognize  a  man  or  not,  as  she  chooses. 

"  In  shaking  hands  with  a  lady,  should  you  not 
have  time  to  remove  your  glove,  you  must  say, 
'  Excuse  my  glove.'  Never  give  the  lady  your 
left  hand;  with  that  you  lift  your  hat  and  with 
the  other  you  shake  her  hand." 

"  A  fashionable  call  is  not  to  exceed  half  an 
hour." 

"  A  married  lady  must  nu.  invite  men  to  her 
home  unless  her  husband  is  there." 

Then  comes  a  chapter  on  behaviour  at  the  table, 
and  mark  it,  you  superior  people  of  Pittsburgh, 
your  Slovak  immigrants  are  told  that  they  must 
drink  their  cofTee  out  of  their  cups,  not  out  of 
their  saucers,  for  it  is  "  very,  very  ugly  to  do 
that  " ;  and  "  Please  do  not  blow  your  hot  coffee 
or  soup;  give  it  time  to  cool."  "  Do  not  make  a 
noise  when  you  eat  your  meat  and  do  not  eat  your 
pie  with  a  knife."  "  Do  not  take  your  potato  in 
your  hand  to  peel  it."  "  Do  not  reach  across  the 
table  but  say:  '  Please  pass  the  butter,'  and  if  you 


JUSTIFIED  FAITH 


117 


should  have  to  leave  the  table  before  others  have 
finished  say:  '  Please  excuse  me.'  " 

"  How  to  Behave  on  the  Street "  is  a  chapter 
I  should  like  to  translate  in  its  entirety  for  the 
superior  native  race  in  Pittsburgh  and  out  of  it. 
Mr.  Klobuk  is  told  that  he  must  not  walk  with 
his  hands  in  his  pockets  nor  must  more  than  two 
walk  together  on  a  narrow  sidewalk  so  as  to 
obstruct  the  street.  If  the  sidewalk  is  wide  enough 
three  might  walk  on  it  abreast,  but  invariably  they 
must  break  ranks  if  they  are  met  by  some  one 
going  in  another  direction. 

Lastly,  the  new-comer  is  told  about  his 
clothes,  what  to  wear  and  how  to  take  care 
of  it  and,  what  is  very  important,  he  is  told  that 
handkerchiefs  are  cheap  in  America  and  that  they 
are  to  be  used. 

But  the  distance  the  immigrant  has  travelled 
toward  the  higher  culture  is  best  demonstrated 
to  the  general  American  public  by  the  annual  Smg- 
ing  Contest  which  takes  place  in  the  Soldiers'  Me- 
morial Hall.  It  was  organized  by  the  Y.M.C.A. 
of  Pittsburgh  and  on  one  occasion  I  was  the  guest 
and  speaker. 

The  contestants  were  late  in  arriving,  for  to 
wash  away  the  grime  of  the  mine  and  shop  and 
make  one's  self  presentable  for  so  momentous  an 


^>«M.M  r> 


118 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


Unfortunately,  the  singers  do  n(jt  appear  in 
their  national  costume,  while  many  oi  tlicm  come 
in  evening  dress,  shaven  and  shorn,  one  group  not 
easily  distinguished  from  the  other  or  from  the 
audience  of  Americans  assembled. 

The  contest  was  begun  by  Swedish  singers  who, 
long-headed,  fair-haired,  well  groomed,  contrasted 
strongly  with  their  darker  complexioned  com- 
petitors. Their  voices  blend  admirably,  for  they 
have  a  long  experience  in  singing  together.  Their 
range  is  rather  high  and  their  songs  seemed  to 
float  over  their  lips  as  do  the  mists  and  fogs  over 
their  sea-circled  land. 

Very  different  were  the  Russians  who  followed 
them.  Huge,  stocky  fellows  they  were,  upon 
whose  muscular  bodies  their  small  round  heads  sat 
disproportionately.  In  sad,  melancholy  tones,  in 
deep,  guttural  voices  they  sang  in  a  minor  key 
of  the  ploughman's  task  and  the  riverman's  dan- 
gerous journey  down  the  \'olga.  The  applause 
which  followed  was  not  as  generou^  as  that  which 
followed  the  song  of  the  Swedes,  for  the  Rus- 
sians' music  was  understood  and  appreciated  only 
by  their  countrymen,  who  sat  scattered  through  the 
large  auditorium. 

The  Poles  came  with  heavy  tread  upon  the  plat- 
form.    Smaller  and  more  gracefully   built   than 

fUp.    Pi-.cc-:-,s-.r-      <-Vi=Tr    .--.t-.p-    r-^    »l-.=-,r    \:-,A     -.-.z-.rrUt- W't^- 


JUSTIFIED  FAITH 


119 


grim  determination.  What  can  the  Poles  sing 
about  but  Poland's  past,  Poland's  hopes,  of  foes 
worsted  in  bitter  wars  and  of  Poland's  rising 
glory  above  its  threefold  enemies? 

The  Ruthenians  were  the  greatest  surprise  to 
me.  They  are  among  the  latest  comers  to  Pitts- 
burgh and  do  the  most  menial  tasks.  With  no 
national  past  to  buoy  them,  no  national  hopes  to 
dream  about,  they  drew  upon  the  rich  treasures 
of  their  folk  song  and  sang  much  more  sweetly 
and  effectively  than  their  Slav  competitors. 

The  Slovaks  came  next.  Shades  of  the  past! 
Is  it  possible!  Slovaks,  my  Slovaks  of  the  Pitts- 
burgh boarding  house,  in  evening  dress,  pitching 
their  tune  accurately  and  singing  the  songs  of  the 
young  Slovak  poets  so  admirably  that  even  those 
who  could  not  feel  the  beauty  of  the  words  or 
quite  tune  themselves  to  the  strange  harmony,  ap- 
plauded generously. 

The  Croatians  were  no  less  a  surprise,  for  to 
the  Americans  they  had  been  merely  another 
group  of  "  Hunkies  " ;  but  as  the  audience  saw  the 
finely  cut  features  of  these  men  and  the  distinct 
marks  of  culture  in  their  bearing,  it  applauded 
even  before  they  sang  a  single  line.  When  their 
song,  rising  like  a  cataract,  died  away  like  the 
ripple  of  a  gentle  brook,  the  enthusiasm  knew  no 
bounds. 


120 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


A  soloist  next  appeared,  a  Miss  Fabry  of  Slovak 
birth  and  most  excellent  training.  She  is  the  best 
type  of  Slavonic  womanhood— dark,  with  deep-set 
large  eyes.  Gracefully  built  and  simply  and  taste- 
fully gowned,  she  sang  the  cradle  song  of  t'le 
Slovak  mothers,  the  wedding  song  of  the  brides- 
maid and  the  lament  of  the  sulTcring  heart  which 
had  lost  its  treasure. 

1  venture  to  say  that  rarely  has  Pittsburgh  hearda 
song  more  rCc'lly  sung,  not  coming  merely  from  throat 
and  lip,  but  from  down  in  the  b.cart.  Miss  Fabry's 
singing  did  what  only  truly  great  art  can  accom- 
plish. It  aroused  an  enthusiasm  which  was  not 
merely  the  recognition  of  a  superb  artist,  but  a 
tribute  to  human  nature.  In  its  appreciation  of 
this  artist,  the  mixture  of  nationalities  and  races 
knew  itself  as  one  human  family  and  was  proud, 
not  of  the  Slav,  Latin  or  Scandinavian  blood,  but 
proud  that  the  human  could  rise  to  such  superb 
heights,  and  all  were  blended  into  unity  by  the 
great  gift  of  song. 

The  Slovaks  sent  Miss  Fabry  a  floral  offering, 
but  the  messenger,  not  understanding  American 
etiquette,  brought  the  box  of  flowers,  wrapped  and 
tied,  and  was  about  to  preseni  it  to  the  singer  in 
that  form,  when  one  of  those  Americans  who  al- 
ways knows  what  to  do  and  how  to  do  it,  rose 
from  his  seat,  walked  up  to  the  stage,  untied  the 


JUSTIFIED  FAITH 


Ifl 


package  and  oresented  the  roses  to  the  grateful 

artist. 

Nine  nationalities  contested  for  the  prizes,  an 
American  flag  and  a  portrait  of  the  Father  of  our 
Country. 

It  was  difficult  to  address  this  audience,  not 
only  because  it  had  been  on  the  mountain  top  above 
which  no  speech  could  carry  it,  but  because  I  re- 
membered my  boarding  house  life  in  Pittsburgh 
and  the  great  distance  we  had  all  travelled  in  the 
quarter  of  a  century.  I  do  not  know  what  I  said, 
but  I  felt  like  kneeling  down  and  thanking  God 
for  my  confidence  in  my  fellow  men  and  for  this 
country;  for  the  opportunity  it  gives  us  all  to 
rise  from  the  pit  of  tl>e  mine  and  from  the  burning 
furnaces  to  the  full  glory  of  manh(X3d. 

To  close  the  meeting  we  all  sang  together,  "  My 
Country,  'tis  of  Thee  "  They  had  been  singing  in 
groups,  each  the  notes  and  thoughts  bequeathed 
him  by  his  Fatherland— the  songs  of  conquest,  of 
national  aspiration,  of  love  and  hate.  Now  we 
sang  the  common  h>Tnn  of  a  grateful  people,  and 
as  we  sang,  "  Our  Father's  God  to  Thee,"  I  felt 
my  faith  in  the  human— even  as  I  knew  it  in  the 
boarding  house— justified,  and  I  left  the  hall  as  if 
walking  on  clouds. 


XII 

IN  DARKEST  PITTSBURGH 

THAT  hard  winter  in  Pittsburgh  ceased  as 
suddenly  as  it  had  begun.  A  tc^rrential  rain 
driven  by  warm  winds  swelled  the  rivers; 
against  the  piers  of  the  bridge  were  piled  great 
cakes  of  ice  which  gradually  extended  like  a  fort- 
ress, while  'he  water  rose  higher  and  higher,  until 
it  crept  over  the  banks  and  rushed  through  the 
streets,  seeking  its  level.  The  fires  in  the  mill 
were  quenched,  the  gates  were  closed  and  my  career 
in  the  steel  mill  ended. 

I  had  saved  over  one  hundred  dollars,  which 
was  a  great  gain,  of  course,  but  I  had  also  lost 
much;  for  the  English  which  I  had  acquired  was 
unused.  Neither  did  I  enter  a  church;  for  on 
many  of  the  Sundays  I  worked,  and  on  the  days 
when  I  had  a  respite  I  was  too  tired  to  do  any- 
thing except  write  a  letter  home  or  delve  into  that 
marvellous  compilation  of  inane  nothings,  the 
Sunday  newspaper. 

With  the  patrons  uf  a  German  saloon  on  Smith- 
field  Street  I  had  some  social  contact,  which  lifted 
me  a   bit   above   my   boarding   house   life;   but 

123 


IN  DARKEST  PITTSBURGH  1«9 

nothing  happened  there  to  stir  me  to  a  realization 
of  the  fact  that  I  was  going  downward. 

One  rather  strong  impression  was  left  upon 
me  through  my  ci^ntaci  with  this  saloon,  namely : 
that  all  reformers  were  hypocrites  and  that  the 
W.C.T.U.  was  an  association  of  married  women 
who  shirked  tlieir  home  duties  and  of  old  maids 
who  had  no  home  duties  to  shirk — nothing  to  do 
but  meddle  with  the  affairs  of  others. 

I  saw  the  people  of  F'ittsburgh  painted  in  blue, 
Puritanic  colours,  and  I  became  firmly  convinced 
that  the  main  business  of  the  churches  was  to  re- 
press ail  human  joy. 

It  seemed  very  strange  to  me  that  the  church 
people  were  eager  to  close  saloons  when  the  fac- 
tories and  mills  were  always  open.  In  my  estima- 
tion the  height  of  fanaticism  was  reached  when  I 
realized  that  on  Sunday  all  places  of  amusement 
had  to  be  closed  an  hat  boys  were  arrested  for 
playing  ball  on  that  day. 

Under  the  very  foundations  of  the  churches 
where  protesting  congregations  condemned  Sun- 
day pleasures.  Sunday  labour  was  going  on  in  the 
dark,  damp  mines.  After  six  days  of  monotonous, 
unrelieved  toil,  on  the  seventh  day.  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  men  were  permitted  to  lift  hot  iron  and 
steel  bars ;  while  young  boys,  who  laboured  all  the 
wec'.c  and  v  "c  pcfiiuiicu  to  rcai  mc  s«.«c»u»i  ua). 


I  ; 


12*  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

were  arrested  for  engaging  in  what  seemed  to  me 
a  perfectly  innocent  game. 

The  good  people  of  Pittsburgh,  especially  their 
ministers,  wonder  at  tlie  attitude  of  foreign  work- 
men toward  them  and  their  Sabbatarian  ideals. 
They  do  not  realize  that  their  own  attitude  looks 
to  the  workmen  decidedly  queer  and  distorted. 

While  the  churches  of  Pittsburgh  did  stop  Sun- 
day baseball  and  kept  the  front  doors  of  the  sa- 
loons closed — to  this  day  they  have  not  stopped 
the  unnecessary  waste  of  labour  and  of  life. 

Among  my  associates  of  that  early  day  every 
activity  of  the  church  was  held  up  to  ridicule,  and 
I  remember  quite  clearly  the  unpleasant  impression 
made  upon  me,  when  I  read  that  the  churches  of 
Pittsburgh  had  raised  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
dollars  to  send  missionaries  to  foreign  lands;  for 
I  saw  what  they  did  not  realize — that  in  their 
midst  decent  people  were  being  brutalized  and  re- 
ligious ideals  crushed  by  overwork,  underpay  and 
wretched  housing  conditions. 

Never  shall  I  forget  my  attempt  to  get  a  bath 
in  Pittsburgh.  That  there  was  none  to  be  had  in 
our  boarding  house  did  not  seem  strange,  for  the 
bathroom  is  a  comfort  found  in  comparatively  few 
European  homes;  that  there  was  no  municipal 
or  public  bath  which  any  one  might  enjoy  for 
tnoncy,  i  could  not  understand.     Tlie  condition 


IN  DARKEST  PITTSBURGH 


125 


of  our  bodies  can  be  imagined  when  one  considers 
the  nature  of  our  work,  the  temperature  in  the 
mills  and  the  state  of  the  atmosphere  in  Pitts- 
burgh. I  do  not  care  to  recall  just  how  long  I 
went  without  a  bath,  but  I  do  wish  to  point  out 
the  difficulties  under  which  the  immigrant  labours, 
or  did  labour,  in  trying  to  get  one. 

I  knew,  of  course,  that  b-a-t-h  meant  bath,  but 
in  none  of  the  better  class  barber  shops  where  one 
could  be  obtained,  was  I  permitted  to  purchase 
cleanliness  when  I  asked  the  privilege. 

After  much  screwing  up  of  courage,  I  entered 
a  mean  looking  shop  in  which  men  of  my  standiiig 
could  buy  this  luxury.  The  bathroom  was  behind 
a  thin  wall,  partitioned  off  from  the  barber  shop; 
the  woodwork  was  dirty  and  decayed,  and  the 
filth  of  the  tub  beyond  all  description.  In  those 
days  it  must  have  taken  no  little  courage  to  bathe 
in  Pittsburgh  water,  even  where  the  accessories 
were  acceptable ;  but  in  that  basement  barber  shop 
among  unspeakable  stenches,  it  seemed  to  me  more 
sanitary  not  to  bathe.  However,  true  to  my  early 
training  and  a  natural  desire  for  cleanliness.  I 
made  a  desperate  effort  to  scrub  the  tub,  but  in 
vain.  Finally,  sickened  by  the  dirt  and  the  un- 
namable  odours.  I  left  the  barber  shop  minus 
twenty-five  cents  and  also  minus  the  bath. 

There  were  places  of  all  sorts  and  kinds  and  in 


1X6 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


conspicuous  locations  provided,  for  satisfying  the 
lowest  passions  of  men,  but  a  public  baili  was  one 
of  the  things  which,  if  it  existed,  never  came  to 
our  notice. 

That  was  a  dreary  spring,  for  not  only  wa:, 
there  no  work,  the  flooded  cesspools  and  choked 
sewers  bred  pestilence,  and  our  boarding  house 
held  a  mixture  of  contagious  diseases,  of  which 
smallpox  was  the  worst. 

Perhaps  because  the  hospitals  were  crowded  or 
because  we  were  isolated  by  the  flood  or  because 
we  were  "  just  caitle,"  none  of  the  patients  could 
be  removed.  Instead,  a  quarantine  was  placed 
against  our  house,  and  wc  were  \  irtually  prisoners. 

Two  of  the  men  died.  They  were  of  the  Greek 
Orthodox  faith,  but  under  existing  conditions  wc 
could  mak-^  no  efforts  to  find  a  priest.  Fortu- 
nately, I  could  read  the  prayers  of  their  church 
for  them,  and  as  they  craved  absolution  from  their 
sins  before  they  died,  I  granted  them  forgiveness 
in  the  name  of  the  Triune  God  in  whom  I  did  not 
profess  belief.  I  had  even  mocked  their  crude 
superstitions  and  gloried  in  my  enthroned  reason; 
but  in  the  presence  of  death  I  was  down  to  their 
level,  or  perhnps  I  should  say.  I  rose  to  their 
height.  I  became  a  priest  against  my  will,  anointed 
by  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  dying. 

At  night  came  health  officers  covered  by  car- 


IN  DARKEST  PITTSBURGH  1«7 

bolic  acid  soaked  sheets.  They  looked  like  ghosts 
as  they  carried  away  our  comrades,  to  rest  in  the 
putter's  field. 

Our  boarding  house  and  others  like  it  became 
a  menace  to  the  neighbourhood,  for  the  disease 
germs  washed  down  the  hillsides  into  the  river, 
and  death  lurked  in  every  drop  of  water  the  city 
consumed. 

Pittsburgh  seemed  not  to  learn  anything  from 
this  costly  experience.  It  was  the  time  when  the 
growth  and  the  wealth  of  cities  were  put  above 
the  weal  of  those  who  toiled  to  make  them  great 
and  rich.  The  newspapers  were  silent,  and  who 
would  have  heard  the  complaints  of  mere 
"  Hunkics"? 

I  know  that  the  city  had  to  be  scourged  many 
a  time,  until  disease  and  death  climbed  out  of  the 
bottoms,  unsatisfied  by  their  harvest,  and  reached 
up  to  the  hillsides  where  the  masters  lived.  When 
the  darlings  of  great  fortunes  were  stricken,  Pitts- 
burgh wakened  to  the  fact  that  it  was  face  to  face 
with  a  health  problem. 

When  it  had  health  inspectors  and  struggled 
for  some  measure  of  well-being  in  tenements, 
shops  and  mines,  another  disease  fastened  upon  its 
community  life,  a  disease  quite  indigenous  to 
American  cities  and  commonly  called  "  graft." 

It  has  taken  Pittsburgh  many  years  to  discover 


lies 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


that  graft  is  not  merely  a  matter  of  men's  putting 
public  money  into  their  private  pockets,  but  that 
graft  means  a  polluted  water  supply,  ineffective 
health  and  mine  inspection,  disease-breeding  tene- 
ments. 

It  is  just  beginning  to  understand  that  hardest 
of  all  the  sayings  of  Jesus — hard  enough  for  the 
individual,  harder  still  for  the  collective  mind  to 
grasp.  "  For  what  doth  it  profit  a  man  " — or  a 
city — "  if  he  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his 
own  soul  ?  " 


XIII 
FROM  STEEL  TO  COAL 

THE  perplexing  problem  of  the  distribution 
of  immigrants  solves  itself  to  a  more  or  less 
satisfactory  degree  by  the  demand  for  their 
labour. 

Many  oi  the  racial  groups  instinctively  follow 
the  paths  worn  by  their  predecessors.  Thus  when 
they  are  "  cast  out  of  one  city  "  they  "  flee  unto 
another,"  sure  of  finding  numbers  of  their  country- 
men and  a  chance  at  the  same  hard  labour  in 
which  they  were  engaged. 

From  Pittsburgh  the  beaten  path  led  to  Connels- 
ville;  from  steel  to  coal.  Those  who  had  not 
a'rquired  the  agility  or  the  boldness  to  jump  freight 
trains  walked  along  the  track;  that  is,  if,  like 
myself,  they  left  Pittsburgh,  the  city  of  million- 
aires, practically  penniless. 

I  took  neither  "  scrip  nor  staff."  yet  I  was  not 
quite  within  the  Apostolic  rule,  for  I  carried  a  re- 
volver which,  with  a  praver-book.  was  bequeathed 
me  by  the  dying  m^n  in  the  boarding  house. 

Inasmuch  as  the  revolver  cost  me  six  months  of 

129 


l;30 


FRO.M  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


freeduni,  it  would  have  been  better  fur  ine  if  I  liad 
left  I'ittsburgli  with  only  the  Apostolic  equipment. 

The  way  out  of  the  city  was  difficult,  for  I  had 
to  find  the  right  tracks  among  a  perfect  maze  of 
rails.  It  was  a  perilous  and  tedious  task  which 
consumed  the  greater  part  of  a  morning.  I  do  not 
know  how  \o\v^  it  took  me  to  reach  Connclsville. 
I  have  painful  memories  of  a  long,  cold,  damp  day, 
of  shoes  which  admitted  the  oozing  slush,  dan- 
gerous trestles  to  cross,  and  weary,  hungry  night 
hours.  I  recall  the  evening  sky  luridly  coloured  by 
tne  light  of  gaseous  flames  from  lines  of  mysteri- 
ous watcli  fires  which  stretched  along  the  valley. 
Half  naked  men  and  women  tended  these  fires 
and  had  neither  time  nor  spirit  to  answer  my 
greetings  or  gi\e  me  directions  on  the  way. 

Faintly,  very  faintly,  do  I  remember  hard  words 
spoken,  threatening  gestures  and  doors  shut  in  my 
face. 

Most  vividly  do  I  recollect  one  wrinkled  face, 
hardened  and  wizened,  yet  it  shines  through  all 
these  years — like  Rembrandt's  portrait  of  an  old 
woman — all  the  mellow  light  concentrated  upon 
the  features,  changing  each  ugly  spot  and  wrinkle 
into  beauty. 

It  was  very  late  at  night  when  I  reached  the 
outskirts  of  Connelsviile,  and  the  red  and  green 
lights  in  the  yards  were  constantly  changing.    On 


FROM  STEEL  TO  COAL 


181 


every  track  were  cars  full  of  coke,  and  in  my  at- 
tempt to  get  out  of  the  way  of  a  switching  train 
I  slid  down  an  embankment  and  literally  fell  into 
the  house  where  this  old  woman  was  washing 
clothes. 

"  Boce  muy! "  she  exclaimed  at  the  sight  of  her 
unexpected  guest,  as  with  hands  which  dripped 
soapsuds  she  helped  me  get  to  my  feet.  Without 
waiting  to  hear  my  story,  she  brought  me  some 
supper,  my  first  meal  that  day. 

It  was  just  sauerkraut,  hot,  fortunately,  and  I 
shall  never  forget  how  good  it  tasted.  Even  now, 
after  my  palate  has  been  jaded  by  the  delicacies  of 
both  the  Occident  and  the  Orient,  I  remember  the 
infusion  of  strength,  the  return  of  hope  and  the 
increase  even  of  faith  which  came  with  tliat 
plebeian  dish,  sen-ed  in  the  homeliest  way — graced 
only  by  the  pity  which  gave  it. 

The  old  woman's  "  man  "  was  at  work,  for  he 
was  one  of  the  priests  of  the  Coke  and  Steel 
Company,  and  nightly  tended  their  sacred  fires. 
Her  son-in-law  and  her  daughter  were  asleep  with 
the*r  numerous  children. 

She  made  me  lie  down  in  her  bed  while  she 
kept  on  washing  clothes,  how  long  into  the  night 
I  do  not  know. 

When  I  awoke  the  old  man  was  lying  by  my 
side;  he  had  not  undressed  himself,  nor  was  he 


ia« 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


washed.  A  bl'.ck,  ugly,  inhuman,  snoring  thing 
he  seemed  as  iie  lay  upon  the  dirty  bed,  and  linger- 
ing about  him  was  the  smell  of  soapsuds,  cf  new 
and  old  cooking,  of  body  sweats  and  other  odours 
past  analysis. 

The  room  was  full  of  the  noise  of  switching 
engines,  crashing  freight  cars  and  the  prattle  of 
children;  the  cries  of  young  babies  and  the  curses 
of  tired  men,  poisoned  by  overwork  and  alcohol; 
the  chatter  of  women,  hucksters  calling  out  their 
wares  and  the  reverberation  of  powder  blasts;  yet 
the  tired  old  man  slept  on. 

I  ate  breakfast  with  tb.e  son-in-law.  There 
were  hot.  steaming  coffee  with  sugar  and  milk, 
black  bread  and  butter  and  fried  purk — a  sumptu- 
ous breakfast  indeed  for  that  Polisli  peasant. 
While  we  ate  he  made  me  an  offer,  and  soon  we 
sealed  the  compact  by  which  I  became  his  helper 
in  the  mine  at  a  dollar  a  day. 

On  the  way  to  work  1  bought  my  outfit  on  credit. 
A  pickax,  shovel  and  a  miner's  uniform,  consisting 
of  an  overall  suit,  cap  and  heavy  boots.  I  think 
I  fell  something  likj  pride  as  I  put  them  on.  the 
pride  of  a  soldier.  I  also  felt  a  soldier's  fear  as 
we  walked  across  the  network  of  tracks,  dodged 
stnng-s  of  moving  cars,  entered  the  cage  and 
waited  for  tlie  signal  to  descend.  I  never  had 
much  physical  courage,  in  fact,  I  was  what  men 


FROM  STEEL  TO  COAL 


133 


call  a  coward.  I  always  had  to  summon  to  my 
aid  at  such  a  time  something  of  a  moral  prop  to 
hold  me. 

I  grew  dizzy,  cold  perspiration  covered  my  body, 
and  when  the  sliarp  tune  fjf  the  gong  rang  out, 
I  thi.ik  i  must  have  felt  like  a  condemned  man 
when  the  fatal  moment  comes. 

The  day  was  raw  and  cold,  and  the  sun  strug- 
gled with  the  haze  and  smoke  which  hung  over  the 
valley.  Suddenly  it  grew  warmer  and  darker, 
the  little  lamps  on  our  caps  sent  a  dim  halo  about 
our  heads  and  all  was  silent  except  for  the  grind- 
ing of  wheels  somewhere  and  the  friction  of  the 
rope  which  held  the  cage. 

It  was  a  world  of  men  and  mules  into  which  we 
descended.  Toiling  men  and  mules,  and  the  men 
had  the  advantage,  for  they  could  swear  at  the 
mules,  and  beat  them.  However,  the  mules  could 
reciprocate  in  their  own  fashion,  all  but  the  swear- 
ing. 

I  stumbled  over  tracks  and  switches,  much  to 
the  amusement  of  the  gang  which  was  moving 
in  a  certain  direction  to  its  daily  task. 

At  last  my  "  boss  "  reached  the  chamber  in 
which  we  were  to  work.  He  ton  was  new  at  his 
job,  and  the  Irish  foreman  with  much  ill  huniour 
gfave  us  certain  directions;  which  I  did  not 
understand.     Then   came  hours  of   drilling  into 


rM^ 


m-' 


IM 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


the  unresponsive  earth,  hole  after  hole,  into  each 
of  vvliicli  we  poured  black  powder  whose  nature  I 
did  not  guess.  After  that  1  was  told  to  run, 
and  the  earth  shook,  my  throat  and  nostrils 
were  almost  sealed  by  smoke,  and  the  battle 
was  on. 

I  shovelled  coal  and  lifted  it  into  numerous  cars 
which  came  and  went,  drawn  by  blinking  mules, 
driven  by  tobacco  chewing,  reckless,  cursing  lads 
who  called  us  names  which,  fortunately,  were  un- 
intelligible, to  me  at  least. 

It  was  night  when  we  reached  the  top,  the 
upper  crust  where  men  could  walk  erect,  breathe 
less  polluted  air  and  look  at  the  stars,  or  do  that 
less  poetic  thing  which  we  did — go  to  the  saloon, 
stand  in  front  of  the  bar  like  real  human  beings 
and  order  the  barkeeper  to  give  us  whiskey. 
The  nun  drank  to  my  health  (at  my  ex- 
pense) ill  honour  of  my  having  become  a 
miner's    helper. 

That  long  row  of  saloons  in  Connelsville  still 
stands,  and  youths  such  as  I  was  then  are  in  front 
of  the  bars  indulging  in  their  only  solace — biting, 
vicious  alcohol. 

I  walked  that  street  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury after  I  first  entered  it  and  saw  the  very  saloon 
into   whicli  my  "  boss  "  led   me   when  he   drank 

ti\      mv     li(>-jlth       in.'l      T      pvpn      IcinnH      thf     Villf      tr> 


FROM  STEEL  TO  COAL 


136 


which   I    returned    after    my    first    day's    labour 
underground. 

I  walked  that  strpet  the  same  hour  of  the  night 
with  my  dear  friend  Robert  Watchom,  then  Com- 
missioner of  Immigration  at  the  port  of  New 
York,  and  I  told  him  the  events  of  those  days,  even 
as  he  had  told  me  of  his  own  struggles  as  a  coal 
miner  in  that  same  region. 

We  were  jostled  by  half-drunk  boys  who  had 
purchased  elation  of  spirit  at  too  great  a  price, 
and  were  seeking  a  wretched  by-street  to  purchase 
there  the  base  counterfeit  of  a  woman's  love. 
We  said  to  each  other,  "  By  Grace  are  we  saved," 
and  praying  as  we  walked,  we  pledged  ourselves 
to  help  stir  the  conscience  of  the  community  so 
that  the  immigrant  lads  might  find  real  friends 
outside  the  brothel  and  the  saloon,  instead  of  false 
friends  inside  them. 

That  night  both  of  us  spoke  before  the  state  con- 
vention of  the  Y.M.C.A.,  and  from  it  came  the 
pledge  of  money  for  the  first  real  eflfort  to  train 
men  especially  for  social  service  among  immi- 
grants. 

The  first  night  of  my  career  as  a  miner,  when 
my  employer  and  I  came  back  to  the  hut,  the  chil- 
dren were  all  asleep  and  the  old  woman  was  again 
washing.  The  wife  of  the  boss  was  cooking  sup- 
per, and  for  a  greeting  he  cursed  her  and  threat- 


136  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

ened  to  beat  her.  Why,  I  did  not  know,  nor  did 
they  eitlicr,  I  think.  I'crhaps  because  all  around 
them  were  evil  and  degradation. 

The  old  man  had  gone  to  watch  the  fires,  and 
after  supper  I  went  to  bed.  Too  tired  to  undress, 
I  think  I  was  asleep  before  I  lay  down.  In  the 
morning  the  dirty,  snor  g  old  man  was  lying  by 
my  side  grinding  his  teeth  in  his  sleep  and  mutter- 
ing something  like  a  curse.  I  never  saw  him 
awake. 

The  next  day  and  the  next  brought  just  the 
same  monotonous  round;  every  evening  after  the 
day's  labour  the  boss  took  me  to  the  saloon  where 
he  continued  to  drink  my  health  at  my  expense. 
On  Saturday  night  he  paid  me,  deducting  my 
board  and  the  amount  of  my  debt  to  the  saloon- 
keeper. That  night  he  lingered  longer  than  usual 
in  the  bar-room  and  got  into  a  fight.  I  visited  the 
stores,  investing  in  clean  linen  the  little  money  I 
had  left. 

The  next  week  was  like  the  preceding  one  except 
that  it  grew  difficult  to  go  to  work ;  men  who  spoke 
English  tried  to  restrain  us.  for  there  was  a  strike. 
On  the  fourth  day  of  that  week  as  we  reached 
the  top  of  the  mine  we  were  greeted  by  curses 
and  flying  lumps  of  coal  and  had  to  run  for  our 
lives. 

In  the  m.orninsr  we  found  the  mine  surrounded 


FROM  STEEL  TO  COAL 


187 


by  soldiers,  and  before  we  reached  the  encircling 
guards  we  were  set  upon  by  a  group  of  men,  some 
of  whom  flourished  sticks,  while  others  carried 
guns. 

We  ran  toward  the  mine,  the  guard  charged  the 
strikers  and  shots  were  fired  on  both  sides.  I 
stopped  behind  a  sheltering  water  tank  when  a 
moving  mass  of  men  came  in  my  direction.  I 
was  seized,  beaten  and  left  insensible  upon  the 
ground. 

When  I  woke  I  found  myself  on  an  iron  cot  in 
a  narrow  cell  with  my  head  bandaged.  I  rose  and 
limped  to  the  door,  which  I  found  locked,  for  I 
was  imprisoned  in  the  county  jail. 


I 


XIV 

THE  CRIMINAL  IMMIGRANT 

TO  recall  prison  expcricm  >  is  not  pleasant, 
and  would  not  be  protitable,  if  this  were 
merely  a  narration  of  wliat  happened  to  one 
individual,  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago.  Conditions 
are  not  sufficiently  changed,  either  in  judicial  pro- 
cedure or  in  methods  of  punishment,  to  make  this 
account  of  historic  importance.  Its  value  lies  only 
in  the  fact  that  no  changes  have  occurred,  and  that 
my  experience  then  is  still  the  common  fate  of 
multitudes  of  immigrants,  who  swell  the  criminal 
recorrls  of  their  race  or  group,  and  are  therefore 
looked  upr)n  with  dislike  and  apprehension. 

The  jail  in  which  I  found  myself  was  an  un- 
redeemed, vermin-infested  building,  crowded  by 
a  motley  multitude  of  strikers  and  strike  breakers; 
hitter  enemies  all,  their  animosity  begotten  in  the 
elemental  struggle  for  bread,  and  hating  one  an- 
other with  an  unmodified,  primitive  passion. 

The  strikers  had  the  advantage  over  us,  for  they 
were  more  numerous  and  were  acquainted  with 
the  ways  of  American  officials.     This  gave  them 

138 


THE  CRIMINAL  IMMIGRANT        159 

the  opportunity  (which  they  improved)  to  make 
it  unpleasant  for  the  "  Hunkies." 

The  sfaw  mattress  upon  which  I  slept  the  first 
night  was  missing  the  second;  .alt  more  completely 
spoiled  the  mixture  called  by  courtesy  coffee,  and 
the  only  thing  which  saved  rr.c  frcrr.  bMily  hurt 
was  the  fact  that  there  was  no  spot  on  me  which 
was  not  already  suffering. 

I  mention  without  malice  and  merely  as  a  fact 
in  race  psychology',  that  the  Irish  were  the  most 
cruel  to  us,  with  the  Germans  a  close  second, 
while  the  Welsh  were  not  only  inoffensive,  but 
sometimes  kind. 

One  of  them,  David  Hill,  smaller  than  the  or- 
dinary Welshman,  but  with  the  courage  of  his 
Biblical  namesake — stood  between  me  and  a  burly 
Irish  Goliath  who  wanted  to  thrash  this  particular 
"  furriner,  who  came  over  here  to  take  away  the 
bread  from  the  lips  of  dacent,  law-abiding  Ameri- 
cans." 

The  jailer  maintained  no  discipline  and  heeded 
no  complaints.  His  task  was  to  keep  us  locked 
up;  the  bars  were  strong  and  the  key  invariably 
turned. 

The  strikers  gradually  drifted  from  the  jail, 
being  bailed  out  or  released,  and  I  was  not  sorry 
to  see  them  go. 

Poor  food,  vermin  of  many  varieties  and  the 


UO  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

variiHis  small  turturcs  endured,  were  all  as  nothing 
V>  mc  c  »mpared  wttli  tlic  fact  that  for  more  than 
bix  weeks  I  was  permitted  to  he  in  that  jail  without 
a  hearing:  without  even  the  slightest  knowledge 
on  my  part  as  to  why  I  had  fdrfeiied  my  liberty, 
hrom  the  barred  jail  window  1  could  sec  work- 
men K"^'"K  unhindered  to  their  tasks;  on  Sunday 
pastor  and  people  passed,  as  they  went  to  worship 
their  Lord  who,  too,  wa^  once  a  piisoner.  Xone, 
seemingly,  ^ave  us  a  thou^dit  or  even  responded 
by  a  smile  to  the  hunger  for  sympathy  which  I 
know  my  face  must  have  expressed. 

My  letters  to  the  Austro-Iluiiuarian  Consul  re- 
mained unanswered,  and  the  jailer  gave  my  re- 
peated questioninj^s  only  oaths  for  reply. 

The  day  of  my  hearing  finally  came,  and  I  was 
dragged  before  the  judge.  The  proceedings  were 
shockingly  disorderly,  irreverent  and  unjust.  I 
was  charged  with  shooting  to  kill.  The  weapon 
which  had  been  found  in  my  pocket  was  the 
revolver  bequeathed  me  by  the  dying  man  in  the 
Pittsburgh  boarding  house.  As  all  its  six  car- 
tridges were  safely  embedded  in  rust,  the  charge 
was  changed  to  "  carrying  concealed  weapons." 
I  think  my  readers  will  agree  with  me  that  the 
sentence  of  one  hundred  dollars  fine  and  three 
months  m  the  county  jail,  was  out  of  all  proportion 
to  the  offence. 


THE  CRIMINAL  IMMIGRANT        141 

The  court  wasted  exactly  ten  minutes  on  my 
case  and  then  I  was  returned  to  tny  quarters  in 
the  J3i!,  an  accre(hted  prisoner.  Let  me  here 
record  the  fact  that  I  carried  back  to  my  cell 
a  fierce  sense  of  uijustice  and  a  contempt  for  the 
laws  of  this  land  and  its  officials;  feelings  that 
later  ripened  into  active  sympathy  witli  anarchy, 
which  at  that  time  occupied  the  attention  of  the 
American  people.  My  knowledge  of  that  subject 
came  to  me  through  old  newspapers  which  drifted 
as  waste  around  the  jail. 

In  all  those  months,  more  than  six,  for  my  fine 
had  to  be  worked  out,  or  rather  idled  out,  no  one 
came  to  me  to  comfort  or  explain.  For  more  than 
six  months  I  was  with  thugs,  tramps,  thieves  and 
vermin.  I  was  a  criminal  immigrant,  a  component 
element  of  the  new  immigration  problem. 

I  recall  all  this  now  in  no  spirit  of  vengeance; 
as  far  as  my  memory  is  concerned,  I  have  purged 
it  of  all  hate.  I  recall  my  experience  because 
those  same  condition'^  exist  to-day  in  more  aggra- 
vated form;  while  multitudes  of  ignorant,  inno- 
cent men  suffer  and  die  in  our  jails  and  peniten- 
tiaries. 

Since  then  I  have  visited  most  of  the  county 
jails,  prison?  ani  pen'tentiaries  in  which  immi- 
grants are  likely  to  he  found.  Intelliirent  and 
humane  wardens,  of  whom  there  are  a  few,  have 


14«  1-TlOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

told  me  that  more  tlian  half  the  alien  prisoners 
are  sufTcring  innocently,  from  transgressing  laws 
of  which  they  were  ignorant,  and  that  their  punish- 
ment is  too  often  much  more  severe  than  neces- 
sary. 

The  following  narration  of  several  incidents 
which  recently  came  under  my  observation  will 
be  pardoned,  I  hope,  when  their  full  import  is 
seen. 

Not  long  ago  I  went  to  lecture  in  a  Kansas 
tcwn;  one  of  those  irreproachable  communities  in 
which  it  is  good  to  bring  up  children  because  of 
the  moral  atmosphere.  The  town  has  a  New  Eng- 
land conscience  with  a  Kansas  attachment.  It 
boasts  of  having  been  a  station  m  the  underground 
railway,  and  it  maintains  a  most  uncompromising 
attitude  toward  certain  social  delinquencies,  es- 
pecially the  sale  of  liquor. 

Upon  my  arrival,  I  was  cordially  received  by  a 

committee,  and  one  of  its  members  told  me  that 

the  jail  was  full  of  criminal  foreigners — Greeks. 

What  crimes  they  had  committed  he  did  not  know. 

Recalling  my  own  experience,  I  made  inquiries 

and  found  that  six  Greeks  were  in  the  county  jail. 

They  had  been  arrested  in  September  (it  was  now 

March)  charged  with  the  heinous  crime  of  having 

gone  to  the  unregenerate  state  of  Nebraska,  where 

they  purchased  a  barrel  of  beer  which  they  drank 


THE  CRIMINAL  IMMIGRANT        US 

on  the  Sabbath  day  in  their  camp  by  the  railroad. 

Possibly  these  Greeks  were  just  ignorant  for- 
eigners and  now  harbour  no  sense  of  injustice 
suffered;  possibly  they  still  think  this  country  "  the 
land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave." 
They  may  even  be  ready  to  obey  its  laws  and 
reverence  its  institutions.  I  do  not  know  how  they 
feel,  but  I  do  know  this :  those  Greeks  were  kept 
in  prison  for  breaking  a  law  of  which  they  were 
ignorant,  and  even  if  they  were  aware  of  its  exist- 
ence and  broke  it  knowingly,  the  punishment  did 
not  fit  the  crime. 

They  were  kept  a  riminals  and  regarded  as 
criminals;  they  were  unvisited  and  uncomforted, 
and  they  were  incarcerated  at  a  lime  when  their 
country  called  for  her  native  sons  to  do  battle 
against  the  Turk. 

Some  day  the  sense  of  injustice  suffered  may 
come  to  them,  and  they  will  ask  themselves 
whether  every  man  in  Kansas  who  drinks  beer  is 
punished  as  they  were.  They  will  wonder  why 
real  criminals  go  free,  or  escape  with  nominal 
punishment.  I  venture  to  predict  that  in  some 
great  crisis,  when  this  country  needs  men  who 
respect  her  laws  and  love  her  institutions,  these 
men  and  multitudes  of  others  who  have  suffered 
such  injustices  as  they  have,  will  fail  her. 

I   pleaded    for  those    imprisoned   Greeks  that 


IH  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

night  and  my  plea  was  effective.     The  just  judge 
who  c(nidenined   them,   pardoned   them;   but   so 
just  was  he  that  the  fine  of  one  hundred  dollars 
each,  not  yet  paid,  was  left  hanging  over  them, 
and  tu  their  credit  be  it  said,  they  remained  in 
that  town  and  paid  every  cent  of  it.    This  judge 
no  d.jubt  knows  his  New  Testament ;  he  certainly 
made  the  Greeks  pay  tlie  "  uttermost   farthing " 
before  his  outraged  sense  of  justice  was  appeased. 
Those  Greeks  spent,  together,  over  three  years 
in  jail,  forfeited  more  than  fifteen  hundred  dollars 
in  wages  and  lost  in  bodily  health  and  self-respect 
beyond  calculation. 

Another  incident  occurred  last  spring  as  I  was 
passing  through  a  border  state  on  one  of  those 
nervv-racking  coal  roads. 

At  a  small,  desolate  mining  village  a  group  of 
men  entered  the  car,  unwillingly  enough.     They 
were  chained  to  one  another  and  were  driven  to 
their  seats  with  curses  and  the  butt  of  a  gun. 
They  were  Italian  miners,  part  of  that  human  ma- 
terial  now   being  scattered  all   over   the   United 
States,  carried  by  something  swifter  though  not 
less  insistent  than  the  glacial  movements  which 
graved  the  beds  of  the  rivers  and  shifted  so  much 
of  earth's  original  scenery.    1  here  was  some  dan- 
ger of  violence  and  the  accompanying  minions  of 
the  law  held  back  the  angry  passengers.     There 


THE  CRIMINAL  IMMIGRANT        146 

was  scarcely  a  moment,  however,  when  they  them- 
selves did  not  apply  some  vigorous  measure  to 
assure  themselves  that  three  undersized  Southern 
Italians,  chained  one  to  another,  should  not  escape 
them. 

The  car  was  uncomfortably  crowded  and  grew 
more  so  at  every  station ;  for  the  next  day  the  new 
governor  was  to  be  inaugurated  at  the  capital, 
toward  which  our  train  was  leisurely  travelling. 

I  had  some  difficulty  in  ethnologically  classify- 
ing the  man  who  shared  my  seat.  He  was  large, 
the  colonel  and  major  type,  although  his  head  was 
rounder.  The  features  too  »vere  of  a  different 
cast,  his  speech  less  refined  and  his  manners  less 
gentle. 

He  wore  n  broad,  new  hat,  his  hair  was  long, 
curling  slightly,  and  he  had  an  air  of  special 
importance,  the  cause  of  which  I  discovered 
later. 

"  I  wonder  why  they  are  treating  those  poor 
fellows  so  roughly,"  I  audibly  soliloquized,  turn- 
ing to  him.  He  was  studying  a  typewritten  docu- 
ment and  evidently  did  not  relish  the  interruption. 

"Is  that  any  of  your  business?"  he  asked, 
punctuating  the  short  sentence  with  a  liberal  sup- 
ply of  oaths. 

"  Yes,  I  have  no  other  business.'  I  replied.  "  I 
travel  about  the  world  trying  to  find  out  why  we 


146 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


people  treat  one  another  as  we  do,  if  we  happen 
to  be  of  different  races." 

"What  kind  of  business  is  that?"  looking  up 

from  his  manuscript  and  regarding  me  suspi- 
ciously. 

"  Well,"  I  said,  "  we  call  that  '  Social  Psychol- 

og>'.'  " 

"'  That's  a  new  graft,"  he  replied  with  a  laugh. 
"How  much  is  there  in  it?" 

"  A  little  money  and  a  great  deal  of  joy,"  I 
said  with  an  answering  smile. 

Then  he  folded  his  manuscript  and  made  ready 
to  find  out  more  about  my  "  graft,"  which  I  pro- 
ceeded to  explain. 

"  You  see,  from  the  beginning,  when  a  man  saw 
another  who  wasn't  just  like  him,  he  said:  '  Will 
he  kill  me  or  shall  I  kill  him?'  Then  they  both 
went  about  finding  out.  The  man  who  survived 
regarded  himself  as  the  greater  man,  and  his 
descendants  belonged  to  the  superior  race. 

"  We  haven't  gone  much  beyond  that  point,"  I 
continued.  "  We  hide  our  primitive  hate  under 
what  we  proudly  call  race  prejudice  or  patriotism, 
but  it's  the  old,  unchanged  fear  and  dislike  of  the 
unlike,  and  we  act  very  much  as  the  savages  did 
who  may  have  lived  here  before  the  glaciers 
ploughed  up  your  state  and  helped  to  manufacture 
the  coal  you  are  now  digging. 


THE  CRIMINAL  IMMIGRANT        147 

"  I  don't  know  you,"  I  went  on,  "  but  I  am 
pretty  sure  that  you  feci  mean  toward  those  poor 
'  Dagoes '  just  because  you  want  to  assert  your 
superiority. 

"  I  have  discovered  that  a  man  isnt  quite  happy 
unless  he  can  feel  himself  superior  to  something, 
and  icse  mountain  folk  of  yours  take  those 
man^y,  hungry  looking  dogs  along  just  so  they 
can  have  something  to  kick.     Am  I  right?" 

'*  Well,"  he  replied,  clearing  his  throat  and 
straightening  himself,  while  into  his  eyes  came  a 
steel-like  coldness,  "  you  don't  mean  to  say  that  we 
are  not  superior  to  these  Dagoes,  these  Black 
Hand  murderers? " 

"  No,  I  am  not  ready  to  say  that  yet ;  but  tell 
me  about  them.    Whom  did  they  kill,  and  how?  " 

Then  he  told  me  the  story  and  he  knew  it  well, 
for  he  was  a  re-elected  state  official  now  going 
to  be  sworn  in.  There  was  a  coal  miners'  strike — 
rather  a  chronic  disease  in  that  somewhat  lawless 
state — and  the  militia  was  called  out.  Violence  be- 
gat violence  and  one  of  the  militiamen,  standing 
guard  ai  night,  was  killed  by  a  bullet,  fired  from  a 
Winchester  rifle  at  an  approximately  certain  dis- 
tance. 

The  Italians  were  found  at  that  place  the  next 
day,  were  arrested  and  were  now  on  their  way 
to  the  county  seat  to  be  tried. 


148 


FROM  ALIKN   TO  CITIZEN 


My  c(jnij)anKin  cvidcnlly  had  inuml  my  "  graft  " 
interesting,  for  lie  pcrniitied  me  lo  interview  the 
Itahans. 

None  'if  thcin  knew  definitely  of  what  crime 
they  were  accused,  and  all,  of  course,  protested 
their  innocence. 

None  of  them  had  served  as  soldiers  and  all 
said  they  were  unac(iuainted  with  the  use  of  fire- 
arms. 

When  we  reached  the  end  oi  the  road  where 
we  were  all  admonished  to  change  cars  ami  not 
forget  our  parcels,  the  orTicer  graciously  allowed 
me  to  make  an  experiment.  The  men  were  freed 
from  their  ;^hackles  and  I  t"ld  them  that  a  high 
and  mighty  official  was  watching  thern  and  that 
the  best  marksman  of  the  group  would  find  favour 
in  his  sight.  They  were  then  in  turn  given  the 
Winchester  rifle,  which  they  handled  as  if  il  were 
a  pickaxe.  They  did  not  know  how  to  load  it,  and 
after  it  was  loaded  for  them  and  I  asked  them  to 
fire,  they  fell  upon  their  knees  and  begged  to  be 
permitted  to  show  their  prowess  with  a  stiletto,  the 
use  of  which  they  understood.  Within  twenty-four 
hours  additional  testimony  was  furnished,  which 
proved  beyontl  doubt  that  the  Italians  were  not 
implicated  in  tlie  crime  with  wl;i(.h  &r\  were 
charged. 

I    felt   deeply   grateful   to   the  man   who  per- 


THE  CRIMINAL  IMMIGRANT 


149 


mitted  me  to  intervene  in  their  Ixhalf;  but  what 
would  have  happened  if  by  chance,  or  the  power 
we  call  Providence,  I  had  not  been  thrown  into 
the  sphere  of  their  sufTerinKi*  L'ndoiibtedly.  they 
would  have  been  convicted  of  murder  and 
paid  the  penalty  for  a  crime  which  they  never 
Committed. 

Not  only  is  ignorance  of  our  laws  and  our  lan- 
guage a  fruitful  cai.se  of  the  delinquency  of  immi- 
grants and  their  children,  but  the  venality  of  po- 
lice officials,  the  condition  of  our  courts  and  pris- 
ons, not  only  fail  to  inspire  respect,  but  contribute 
much  to  the  development  of  those  criminal  tend- 
encies with  which  nature  has,  to  a  degree,  en- 
dowed all  men. 

An  interesting  illustration  of  this  is  a  Russian 
Jew  who  recently  was  executed  and  into  whose 
closing  days  I  was  able  to  bring  a  ray  of  comfort. 
Because  of  his  blood-thirstiness  he  had  gained  the 
characteristic  title.  "The  Human  Hyena."  His 
story  throws  the  ordinary  melodrama  into  the 
shade:  but  suflRce  it  to  say  that  he  had  a  penchant 
for  killing  prison  guards  and  carried  the  murder 
of  sixteen  of  them  upon  his  guilty  soul.  Originally 
he  came  into  the  courts  for  a  petty  cringe,  but  de- 
veloped into  a  murderer  in  prison,  th-, .  ugh  the 
inhuman  treatment  he  received. 


150  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

Fortunately,  I  left  the  county  jail  with  no 
thirst  for  blocxl ;  but  with  a  fiercer  passion  to  right 
the  wrongs  under  which  men  sufifer,  and  that,  I 
think,  was  my  one  purpose  in  life  when  the  prison 
door  closed  behind  me. 


XV 


HOW  TRAMPS  ARE  MADE 

THE  great  highways  between  the  East  and 
the  West  are  now  so  familiar  to  me  that 
even  when  a  train  stops  between  stations  at 
night  I  am  fairly  sure  of  my  whereabouts.  I  have 
travelled  hither  and  thither,  in  Pullman  cars,  im- 
migrant trains,  automobiles,  on  a  bicycle,  on  foot ; 
and  if  the  Lord  were  to  make  me  the  promise  he 
made  Joshua,  to  give  me  "  every  place  which  the 
sole  of  my  foot  has  trod  upon,"  I  would  own  half 
this  continent. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  when,  after  my  re- 
lease from  jail,  I  began  my  journey  from  Connels- 
ville  to  Chicago,  I  owned  nothing  and  that  the  trip 
did  not  add  to  my  possessions.  Before  many  days 
I  developed  a  very  lively  interest  in  the  genus 
"  hobo,"  numbers  of  whom  T  met.  As  a  result,  I 
frequently,  and  without  a  twintjc  of  conscience, 
break  every  sociological  rule  in  regard  to  the 
treatment  of  tramps. 

I  know  by  experience  a  number  of  things  which 
the  average  sociologist  has  not  learned  in  his  uni- 
versity.    I  know,  for  instance,  the  processes  which 

181 


16«  FROM  ALILN  TO  CITIZEN 

turn  men  out  upon  the  highway,  and  with  what 
cruelty  and  swiftno.-.  a  atli-ri.>5i>ccting  man  may  be 
turned  into  a  trami). 

Of  course  I  had  had  foretastes  of  all  that  was 
to  come.  1  knew  the  pains  of  hunger,  of  cold  and 
of  homelcssncss.  hut  1  had  yet  to  learn  what  '  vas 
to  be  a  S(,'cial  outcaM.  'o  wnlk  the  monotonous 
stretches  of  a  I<jng  iron  lane  which  has  no  turning 
and  to  fx'ar  in  f.nes  liiart  a  tierce  hate  toward  the 
universe  in  general  and  county  courts  in  particular. 

The  only  thing  which  made  it  at  all  bearable 
and  kept  me  above  the  purjxjseless  army  of  the 
tramps  I  met  was  the  sweet  vengeance  which  I 
nursed — that  inner  unity  with  all  the  oppressed, 
that  "  Wdtschmcr::"  which  then  drew  me  toward 
the  anarchists  in  Chicago.  Let  me  record  here 
that  although  I  thought  organized  .society  unjust 
and  cruel,  the  men  and  women  whom  I  met  while  a 
tramp  were,  as  a  rule,  good,  and  more  than  just; 
they  were  merciful. 

The  most  crabbed  pessimist  might  be  cured  of 
his  disease  by  being  suddenly  thrust  out  into  the  world 
a  tramp,  and  should  he  persist  in  his  pessimism, 
he  would  find  himself  nearly  alone  among  that  ilk 
which  perhaps  is  so  numerous,  just  because  men 
and  women  are  kind. 

No  measures  advocated  to  suppress  the  tramp 
are  too  rigorous,  and  I  arree  with  .:\!1  th**  arj=-''— 


HOW  TRAMPS  ARE  MADE  153 

emas  hurled  upon  his  head;  but  as  lung  as  I  live 
I  shall  give  every  tramp  I  meet  a  chance  to  prove 
himself  a  man.  Even  if  he  fails  me.  I  shall  re- 
member, not  only  niy  f)\vn  frailtic^  but  a  ^o  the 
fact  that  he  is  not  the  only  member  >  society  wf  j 
is  willing  to  eat  bread  which  he  has  not  ca-ned. 
and  ride  on  trains  without  paying  his  fare.  I 
have  met  tramps  in  all  shifts  of  society  and  those 
at  the  bottom  are  not  its  mosi  serious  menace. 

I  was  turned  into  a  tramp  over  night.  As  I 
had  worn  my  miner's  <  itfit  whi'e  in  that  deliglu- 
ful  resort,  the  county  jail  of  Connclsville,  when 
I  was  released  at  four  o'clock  one  afternoon  I  hal 
on  fairly  good  clothes,  but  not  a  single  cent  of 
money  in  my  numerous  pockets. 

I  returned  to  the  hut  which  first  had  sheltered 
me.  The  old  woman  was  still  washing  clothes  in 
the  stuffy  room,  the  old  man  was  sleeping  in  the 
dirty  bed  and  the  children  were  as  before,  in  all 
stages  of  neglect.  The  strike  had  lasted  long,  the 
cupboard  was  empty  and  they  had  a  lodger,  so 
she  could  not  offer  me  even  half  of  the  old  man'-, 
bed. 

I  slept  that  night  about  five  miles  out  of  town 
in  an  empty  coal  car,  and  when  I  woke  my  clothes 
were  soiled,  my  face  black  and.  as  far  as  society 
was  concerned,  I  was  a  tramp. 

^>_-  uOt:L,t  J I  i  tuuiu  iiavc  iOoKcu  into  a  mirror 


15*  rilOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

I  would  lia\c  been  repellent  tu  myself;  why,  there- 
fore, bliuuld  I  blame  others  for  shunnmg  me? 

I  walked  without  food  the  whole  day — west- 
ward, always  westward.  In  the  evening  hunger 
drove  me  into  a  farmyard.  The  dogs  barked  at 
me  and  the  children  scampered  away,  crying,  ex- 
citedly, "A  tramp!" 

The  farmer  had  pity  on  me  and  took  me  in.  I 
worked  for  him  the  next  day.  stayed  that  night, 
and  in  the  morning  he  tried  to  persuade  me  to  re- 
main and  work  out  my  salvation  on  his  farm ;  but 
I  wanted  to  go  to  Chicago  and  refused  his  gen- 
erous offer. 

He  went  with  me  as  far  as  the  water  tank,  a 
good  two-mile  walk.  He  talked  to  me  all  the 
way.  He  spoke  to  my  soul,  to  my  better  self, 
as  few  other  men  ever  have  spoken,  and  when  he 
left  me  I  felt  as  if  a  holy  presence  had  departed. 

I  frequently  pass  that  farm  on  my  trips  East 
and  always  take  ofT  my  hat  to  the  little  house  as 
I  say  a  mental,  "  thank  you." 

I  call  the  place  Emmaus,  for  "  here  I  walked 
with  the  Lord  and  knew  it  not." 

The  first  night  after  leaving  the  farm  I  was 
twenty  miles  nearer  my  goal,  hungry  and  foot- 
sore. A  dear  old  German  couple  fed  me  and  gave 
me  their  guest  chamber,  for  the  sake  of  a  son  who 
had  wandered  away  into  a  "  far  countrv." 


ciT; 


HOW  TRAMPS  ARE  MADE  185 

In  the  morning  I  helped  with  the  chores  and 
after  breakfast  tliey  had  family  worship;  they 
prayed  for  their  son  that  he  might  conic  back, 
and  for  me  that  I  might  be  led  home. 

The  next  day  I  worked  on  another  farm  where 
the  owner  urged  me  to  stay  as  tutor  to  his  sons, 
for  he  discovered  that  I  took  more  interest  in  a 
Latin  text-book  than  in  the  woodpile,  on  which  he 
tried  my  ability  and  my  patience.  I  remained  a 
week,  but  found  that  I  could  make  more  impres- 
sion on  the  woodpile  than  on  the  lads'  Latin,  so 
I  left  them  with  five  dollars  in  my  pocket,  joying 
in  my  riches. 

My  journey  westward  was  interrupted  for  a 
good  many  weeks  by  a  St.  Bernard  dog  and  a 
young  lady.  If  this  were  a  novel  there  would 
have  been  a  romance;  being  a  true  story,  there 
was  none. 

The  dog  had  an  aversion  to  tramps,  which  he 
demonstrated  on  me,  and  the  young  lady  came 
to  the  rescue. 

The  farm  was  a  model  one,  the  house  homelike, 
and  the  family  hospitable.  My  wound  was 
dressed,  and  I  was  urged  to  remain  until  it  healed, 
and  I  confess  I  did  not  regret  it.  My  environment 
was  congenial,  as  there  were  books  and  music. 
The  daughter  of  the  house  interested  me  greatly. 


156 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


for  she  was  a  charming  college  girl,  the  first  of 
her  species  to  cross  my  path. 

Unfortunately  this  episode  ended  unpleasantly, 
as  it  began.  My  host  was  from  .Alsace-Lorraine. 
One  evening  in  discussing  the  Franco-Prussian 
war  he  grew  enraged  at  my  defence  of  the  Ger- 
mans and  with  more  fon^e  than  politeness  declared 
(what  I  had  several  times  suggested)  that  I  was 
sufficiently  recovered  to  resume  my  journey,  which 
I  (lid  without  loss  of  time. 

That  night  I  slept  in  the  open  once  more  with 
a  bundle  of  grain  as  my  pillow. 

X(jt  all  my  e.xperiences  were  so  dramatic  or  so 
pleasant  as  the  one  ju^t  recorded.  One  particular 
place  remains  in  my  memory,  fur  it  had  a  unique 
way  of  making  the  useless  tramp  profitable.  I 
suppose  it  was  known  all  through  trampdom,  for 
no  one  could  get  anything  to  eat  in  that  town 
without  earning  it  first.  It  is  the  junction  point 
of  a  railroad,  and  at  night  a  meal  and  a  lodging 
could  l)e  earned  by  climbing  upon  a  coal  car  and 
throwing  coal  down  the  embankment.  The  com- 
munity thus  got  its  coal,  and  tlie  tramps  earned 
their  living  honestly. 

Those  I  met  were  of  two  kinds,  professionals 
and  amateurs  like  nnseK,  who  might  be  turned 
into  professionals  if  conditions  proved  favour- 
able. 


HOW  TRAM        \RE  MADE 


157 


Those  who  were  in  the  Ljsiness  frequently  capi- 
talized their  skill  and  lived  upon  the  toil  of  the 
amateurs.  There  were  good  and  evil  men  among 
them,  and  some  who  were  both,  in  varied  propor- 
tion. 

There  were  men  who  were  born  wrong,  others 
who  started  wrong,  many  who  would  end  wrong 
and  they  knew  it.  All  were  redeemable  at  one 
time  or  another,  if  society  only  knew  -hen  and 
how. 

After  many  weeks  of  varied  adventures  I 
reached  South  Bend,  Ind.,  in  company  witfi  a 
German  tramp  who  had  previous  experience  on 
the  road,  and  through  him  I  found  a  German 
boarding  house  whose  greatest  profits  evidently 
came  from  the  bar.  Within  a  day  I  was  at  work 
in  the  Oliver  plough  factory. 

My  task  was  an  easy  but  monotonous  one.  With 
a  pair  of  tongs  I  seized  a  piece  of  hot  metal,  laid 
it  upon  a  machine,  tou'ched  the  lever  and  a  heavy 
hammer  descended,  turning  the  shapeless  iron  as 
if  by  magic   into  a  ploughshare. 

A  busy  machine  in  front  of  me  fed  my  never 
decreasing  pile,  and  a  hungry  machine  behind  me 
waited  for  each  ploughshare  which  I  had  helped 
stamp  into  being.  In  but  a  few  f^ays  I  kept  pace 
with  both  machines  and  earned  one  dollar  and 
fifty  cents  for  twelve  hours'  labour.    I  worked  in 


158 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


a  basement  which  was  fairly  cool  because  it  was 
damp,  but  the  damp  and  the  heat  in  some  way 
produced  rheumatism.  Within  two  weeks  I  was 
on  my  back,  in  the  hands  of  a  physician  who  took 
all  my  earnings  in  exchange  for  the  return  of  my 
health,  for  which  he  or  my  buoyant  youth  was 
responsible — I  have  not  yet  decided.  He  forbade 
me  to  go  to  work  in  the  damp  basement,  and  as 
there  was  no  other  job  to  be  had,  I  found  myself 
again  on  the  road  to  Chicago,  this  time  on  the  Lake 
Shore,  afoot  as  usual. 

An  interesting  event  occurred  during  my  stay 
in  Soi  h  Bend  which  influenced  me  in  various 
ways  and  should  be  recorded.  I  discovered  that 
a  certain  village  was  some  seven  miles  from  that 
city.  I  remembered  the  name  because  the  Bo- 
hemian people  who  came  over  with  me  in 
the  steerage  had  moved  to  a  farm  in  that 
neighbourhood.  True  to  the  sense  of  fellow- 
ship begotten  in  the  steerage  I  went  out  to  find 
them. 

They  were  located  on  a  little  farm  and  had  be- 
gun with  patient  industry  to  recover  their  fortune, 
lost  in  the  Old  World.  Three  daughters  and  two 
sons  worked  together  on  the  farm.  In  spite  of 
the  fact  tiiat  liiey  had  been  removed  but  a  short 
time  from  the  steerage,  I  found  many  evidences 
of  Americanizing  influences.    I  shall  mention  two 


HOW  TRAMPS  ARE  MADE  159 

of  them,  because  each  worked  in  a  different  di- 
rection. 

One  was  a  Bohemian  newspaper  printed  in 
Chicago,  typically  American  in  all  but  the  lan- 
guage. It  fitted  into  my  anarchistic  -^ood,  for  it 
was  atheistic  in  its  tendency.  The  second  agency 
was  a  little  Protestant  church  of  the  ultra-evangel- 
istic type  which,  although  this  family  was  Roman 
Catholic,  had  touched  it,  especially  from  the  social 
side. 

On  Sunday  evening  I  went  to  church  with  the 
daughters.  The  sons  did  not  go,  for  they  were 
under  the  spell  of  the  Bohemian  newspaper. 

It  was  a  new  experience,  and  the  unconven- 
tional, unecclesiastical  atmosphere  touched  me. 
The  music  repelled  me  at  first,  but  after  a  while 
the  rhythm  of  the  hymns  caught  my  fancy  and  I 
sang  the  chorus  of  an  emotional  revival  hymn  with 
real  pleasure. 

The  sermon  was  almost  unintelligible  to  me, 
but  the  earnestness  of  the  preacher  made  its  primi- 
tive appeal. 

The  men  and  women  at  the  meeting  called  each 
other  brother  and  .>ister;  they  shook  hands  with 
the  stranger  and  invited  him  to  come  again.  Their 
cordiality  breathed  around  me  an  atmo^phore  nf 
fellowship  for  which  my  heart  had  long  -earned. 

That  night  on  returning  to  the  fa-.-nhouse  we 


160 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


discussed  religion  until  nearly  midnight.  When 
I  left  I  promised  to  come  again,  but  was  prevented 
from  doing  so  by  my  illness  and  subsequent  de- 
parture from  South  Bend. 

More  than  twenty-five  years  passed  before  I  re- 
turned, and  then  I  lectured  in  the  meeting  house. 
I  think  my  most  appreciative  listeners  were  the 
Bohemian  girls  with  their  husbands  and  children, 
who  occupied  the  two  front  pews  and  filled  every 
seat. 


XVI 


THE  GATE  INTO  Ci.ICA(jO 

AN  entanglement  of  railroad  tracks,  miles  of 
hot  sand  dune?  a  t. retch  of  inland  sea; 
the  sky  line  assaulted  by  g  ^ant-  elevators 
and  smokestacks,  block  or  two  crowded  by  houses 
dropped  into  an  empty  prairie — that  is  the  be- 
ginning of  Chicago.  Certainly  it  began  too  soon 
for  a  certain  footsore  traveller,  who  thought  he 
had  arrived — then  found  that  the  guide-post  prom- 
ised <iftecn  miles  more  of  labyrinthine  tracks,  of 
sand  dunes  fashioned  into  scrubby  streets,  of  mul- 
tiplied elevators  and  smokestacks  antl  more  miles 
of  sporadically  settled  prairie.  Chicago  held  out 
no  illusions ;  she  promised  nothing  but  toil,  grime, 
sore  feet  and  a  ceaseless  struggl  for  just  shelter 
and  a  mouthful  of  food.  To  me,  accustomed  to 
the  beauties  of  large  cities  in  the  Old  World,  .she 
seemed  forbiddingly,  hopelessly  ugly  and  pitiless. 
Even  now,  after  having  discovered  the  soul  and  the 
heart  of  her — I  have  a  distinct  feeling  of  fear 
when  I  arrive  there,  although  I  step  from  a  Pull- 
man car  and  feel  safe,  at  least  from  want. 

The  process  of  selection  takes  place  in  hobo  land 


IGS 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


as  it  does  everywhere  else,  and  out  of  the  army 
of  tramps  which  I  met,  a  rather  decent  Bohemian 
attached  himself  to  me.  He  had  been  in  Chicago 
before,  and  failing  to  gain  a  foothold  at  that  time 
was  returning  to  try  again.  He  had  some  very 
attractive  schemes  for  beginning  to  make  a  fortune 
for  both  of  us,  and  the  one  which  seemed  to  him 
most  alluring  was  to  go  into  the  saloon  business 
under  the  patronage  of  some  beer-brewer.  Neither 
capital  nor  character  being  needed,  and  having 
had  the  necessary  experience  with  liquor  on  both 
sides  of  the  bar,  his  future  seemed  rosy  indeed, 
and  generous  fellow  that  he  was,  he  was  ready  to 
share  its  glow  with  me. 

Being  blessed  by  a  temperate  ancestry,  liquor 
was  repugnant  to  me,  whether  to  buy  or  sell ;  so  I 
did  not  embark-  in  the  saloon  business,  although  for 
a  man  situated  as  I  was,  entrance  into  Chicago 
almost  invariably  lay  through  that  avenue. 

I  often  wish  back  the  opportunity  of  receiving 
the  first  impression  of  places  and  cities  I  have 
seen,  but  never  of  Chicago. 

What  the  Loop,  that  congested,  noise-girdled 
shopping  district,  is  to  those  privileged  to  spend 
money.  Canal  Street  and  West  Madison  Street 
are  to  those  compelled  to  earn  it  in  the  hardest 
way.    How  can  one  describe  them? 

Solid  phalanxes  of  saloons,  reeking  from  stale 


THE  GATE  INTO  CHICAGO         16S 

beer  odours,  mechanical  music,  blatant  and  harsh ; 
long  lines  of  men  leaning  over  brass  trimmed  bars, 
poor,  wasted  remnants  of  womanhood,  brazen 
creatures,  pitilessly  repellent,  offering  up  all  that  is 
left  them  on  the  altar  of  man's  lust ;  whirling  wheels 
of chanceandpoor.duped humanity  crowding  about, 
eager  to  stake  the  last  cent  remaining  from  a  hird- 
earned  wage.  Anxious  groups  surrounding  bulle- 
tin boards  which  announced  hard  work  for  little 
pay,  criers  for  boarding  houses  pulling  and  cajol- 
ing their  victims,  and  the  watchful  Jewish  trader 
eager  for  bargaining — that  was  the  Chicago  to 
which  my  hobo  comrade  introduced  me. 

He  knew  where  to  get  the  largest  schooner  of 
beer  and  the  best  free  lunch.  He  opened  to  me 
the  door  into  Chicago  through  that  degrading,  de- 
moralizing institution,  the  saloon;  and  the  more 
I  saw  of  it,  the  more  I  became  convinced  that  the 
selling  of  liquor  was  the  most  harmless  of  all  its 
functions.  Beneath  it,  above  it  and  in  the  rear, 
it  dealt  out  damnation  indescribable  and  unmen- 
tionable. 

Leaving  my  comrade  absorbed  in  a  free  lunch 
and  beer,  the  drink  paid  for  out  of  my  meagre 
purse,  I  started  down  Canal  Street,  studying  the 
posters  of  various  labour  agencies  which  at  that 
time  were  invariably  connected  with  saloons. 

A  man  who  evidently  had  watched  me,  stopDed 


164 


mOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


with  inc  ill  front  (ji  one  of  those  places  and  cor- 
dially invited  me  to  enter  and  consider  an  at- 
tractive situation.  I  was  eager  for  work  and  went 
in  with  him.  I  was  asked  to  step  in  front  of  the 
bar — then  I  felt  something  give  way  and  I  was 
hurled  into  darkness.  I  knew  nothing  until  late 
at  night  I  felt  myself  being  dragged  i>ut  into  an 
alley  and  abandoned. 

No  one  came  in  answer  to  my  feeble  cries,  so 
I  summoned  enough  strength  to  crawl  back  to  the 
street.  .\s  I  came  staggering  out  of  the  darkness 
a  policeman  caught  me  by  the  back  of  the  neck, 
dragged  me  to  a  street  lamp  and  in  a  few  minutes  I 
could  hear  the  tramping  of  horses.  .At  the  time 
I  did  not  know  that  it  was  a  patrol  wagon  into 
which  I  was  roughly  pushed,  and  after  a  short  ride, 
during  which  no  explanation  was  vouch.safed  me. 
I  was  deposited  at  the  Harrison  Street  Police 
Station. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  one  ought  not  to  speak 
ill  of  the  dead;  I  suppose  not  even  of  dead  police 
stations.  Fortunately,  tliis  horrible  man  trap  is 
no  more — but  without  slandering  the  "  dear  de- 
parted," i  can  say  that  it  was  worse  than  the  sa- 
loon in  which  I  was  knocked  down  and  roblied  of 
the  little  I  had — and  ihat  is  saying  a  great  deaJ. 

That  night  I  sjunt  in  a  huge  ba.sement  cell, 
a  sort  111  general  depository  oi  the  day's  unsorted 


THE  GATE  INTO  CHICAGO 


165 


human  refuse.  Men  were  rtghting  tOr  room  to 
stretch  out  and  rest  their  miserable  bodies,  and 
tliey  fought  like  savages.  Some  were  drunk  and 
delirious,  some  sick  and  sore,  otliers  were  hungry 
and  dirty ;  all  were  crying,  laughing  or  singuig  un- 
til an  insane  asylum  would  have  seemed  like  a 
child's  nursery  in  comparison  with  that  Ijedlam. 
Jhere  was  just  one  time  when  the  room  was  com- 
paratively (juiet,  when  men  were  sleeping.  Then 
it  was  more  gruesome  than  the  noise,  for  they 
talked  in  their  sleep. 

I  heard  snatches  of  tender  words,  angry  curses, 
the  ravings  of  tnen  under  the  sjk'II  of  hideous 
dreams;  then  some  one  chuckled  as  if  enjoying 
a  brief  breath  of  happiness,  and  one  man  woke 
and  began  to  curse  his  dreaming  neighl)our,  who 
too  awoke.  Blow  followed  blow  and  men  lived 
in  hell  again  until  daybreak. 

I  have  said  that  I  should  not  care  to  have  my 
first  impressions  of  Chicago  repeated,  yet  I  have 
shared  with  thousands  of  men  and  women  their 
experience,  more  or  less  like  my  own. 

Until  very  lately  tlic  immigrant  in  Chicago, 
unless  he  had  waiting  friends,  found  no  gateway 
open  to  him  except  the  saloon,  the  brothel,  the 
cheap  lodging  house  ;ir.d  tinaily  the  "  lock  up." 

The  agencies  which  began  the  assimilative  pro- 
cess were  all  anti-social,  prtedy  for  their  nrev  and. 


166 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


worst  of  all,  the  jwlicc  was  in  league  with  them  and 
protected  them.  There  was  notliing  left  to  do  but 
walk  up  and  down  in  impotent  rage  and  inveigh 
against  a  city  which  permitted  its  newest  and  most 
potential  human  material  to  lie  polluted,  if  not  cor- 
rupted, at  the  very  entrance  into  its  life. 

1  have  repeatedly  snatched  men  from  the  doors 
of  gambling-rooms,  from  fake  labour  agencies 
and  from  greedy  hotel  runners,  only  to  find  myself 
unpleasantly  involved  with  the  police ;  while  I  usu- 
ally got  a  cursing,  if  not  worse,  for  my  pains. 

An  Immigrant  Protective  League  and  the  Y.M. 
C.A.  are  now  doing  fine  work  in  directing  and 
sheltering  the  new-comers.  Nevertheless,  it  is  a  re- 
flection upon  the  spirit  which  governs  the  city  that 
priz'ate  indiridnals  had  to  organize  a  sort  of 
vigilance  committee  to  do  this  most  elementary 
work  of  justice  for  helpless  strangers. 

There  are  now  two  forces  which  do  the  funda- 
mental work  for  the  assimilation  of  our  immi- 
grant. One  of  them  is  the  anti-social  group  of 
agencies  which  I  have  mentioned,  and  until  very 
lately  it  did  its  work  unchallenged.  The  other  is 
the  privately  organized  associations  which  under 
the  recent  growth  of  the  social  conscience  have 
multiplied  and,  in  a  measure  at  least,  checked  the 
enemy. 


THE  GATE  INTO  CHICAGO 


167 


kind  of  savage  hunger  for  the  assimilation  of  the 
immigrant;  but  the  question  into  what  he  is  to  be 
assimilated  has  not  agitated  them  to  any  marked 
degree.  Whether  or  not  we  threw  the  immi- 
grant to  the  dogs  did  not  matter,  so  long  as  he  was 
eaten  up  and  his  bones  gnawed  free  of  anything 
foreign  which  adhered  to  his  nature. 

However,  when  that  which  is  eaten  by  the  dogs 
becomes  dog,  sometimes  very  savage  dog,  we  de- 
velop a  national  hydrophobia  which  manifests  it- 
self in  great  aversion  to  the  immigrant  in  general. 
We  load  him  with  all  the  curses  of  our  civilization 
and  blame  him  for  all  its  ills,  from  race  suicide 
to  the  I.W.W. 

When  I  finally  escaped  this  primary  influence 
which  had  so  rudely  touched  me,  I  had  as  yet  no 
special  grievance  against  society,  but  I  had  a  clear 
understanding  of  the  suffering  of  the  new-comer 
to  an  American  city.  I  also  had  a  profound  sym- 
pathy with  those  who  were  at  war  against  a  gov- 
ernment which  seemed  not  only  stupid,  but  venal, 
and  which  on  the  face  of  it  was  no  better  than  the 
most  brutal  autocracy,  although  it  called  itself  a 
"  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  and  for 
the  people." 

This  sympathy  I  was  eager  to  express,  but  the 
immediate  physical  necessities  silenced  for  a  while 
rny  L^urnsng  idculism. 


MICROCOr  1    RESOUITION    TEST    CHART 

ANSI  and   ISO   UST   CHA3T   No     ? 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


L-  il 

I:  1^ 

I:  liS 


1.4 


2.2 
[2.0 

1.8 
1.6 


^        ,4POi_l[^Q-)     ,r,/^GE        Inc 


168 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


In  my  aimless  wandering  I  drifted  beyond  the 
territory  marked  by  the  red  hne  of  crime  and 
misery.  1  walked  endless  stretches  of  maddening 
streets  as  hopeless  as  they  were  straight,  liot  and 
ugly.  North  as  far  as  the  pictiiresc|ue  water  tower 
on  Lake  Michigan,  south  as  far  as  the  city  had 
gone  (Jii  its  comjuering  way.  The  few  remaining 
landmarks,  wliene\cr  I  .see  them,  remind  me  of 
hun.'HT.  weariness  and  despair. 

Chicago  is  full  of  friends  now.  I  need  never 
go  to  an  hotel  for  shelter.  I  need  not  even  travel 
on  a  street  car;  I  have  spoken  in  its  fashionable 
churches  and  been  ban(|ueled  in  the  gilded  caverns 
of  its  sumptuous  hostclries;  but  best  of  all.  I  have 
been  drawn  into  the  blessed  circle  of  those  who 
arc  giving  wealth  and  time  and  life  for  the  bet- 
tering of  tlie  very  conditions  from  which  I  once 
suffered. 

Yet  I  have  never  been  able  to  love  Chicago. 
Perhaps  I  ought  to  love  it,  if  only  Iwcause  it  re- 
minds me  of  •'  how  deep  the  hole  out  of  which  I 
was  drawn,  and  how  horrible  the  pit  out  of  which 
I  was  digged." 


XVII 


AMONG  THE  BOHEMIANS 

AFTER  a  fruitless  search  for  work  which 
j\  would  give  me  a  chance  to  rehabilitate  my- 
self, I  returned  to  the  West  Side;  but  for- 
tunately wandered  Ix-yond  the  limits  of  that  awful 
portal  and  found  myself,  to  my  great  delight,  in 
Chicago's  "  Boliemia.  " 

I  shall  never  forget  tlie  joy  I  felt  in  reading 
Czechish  names  and  signs,  and  hearing  again  the 
language  which  was  as  familiar  to  me  as  my  mother 
tongue. 

I  always  felt  a  close  kinship  with  the  Bohemian 
people,  whose  unhappy  history  I  knew  and  whose 
genius  I  understood  and  valued.  I  suppose  while 
"  blood  is  thicker  than  water,"  language  is  thicker 
than  blood,  and  the  larger  relationship  rests  more 
upon  ability  to  understand  another  people's  ideals 
and  share  them,  than  upon  general  hereditary 
factors. 

Perhaps  more  than  any  other  people,  the  Bo- 
hemians have  been  able  to  transplant  their  national 
ideals  and  characteristics  to  the  new  soil,  develop- 

189 


170 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


the  great  difficulties  under  which  they  have  lived 
in  the  Old  World,  so  that  when,  in  this  country, 
they  can  speak  and  print  their  beloved  language, 
they  d"  it  with  a  fierce  passion  as  if  to  make  up  for 
lost  time. 

The  contradictory  characteristics  of  these,  the 
most  talented  of  the  Slavic  peoples,  give  them  un- 
common interest.  Their  liglit-heartedness  and 
sadness,  hospitality  and  hostility,  industry  and 
idleness,  their  passionate  loves  and  hates,  their 
devotion  to  art,  their  piety,  infidelity  and  material- 
ism— all  seemed  to  he  running  at  full  tide  when  I 
happened  upon  "  Bohemia  in  Chicago,"  in  my 
cjuest  for  work.  Had  there  been  the  least  opposi- 
tion to  their  expression,  these  people  might  have 
built  a  mediaeval  castle  wall  around  themselves  and 
annexed  their  territory  to  the  Kingdom  of  Bo- 
hemia. 

I  was  walking  through  one  of  those  West  Side 
streets  which  differ  from  others  in  nothing  but  the 
name,  when  I  saw  men  digging  for  the  foundation 
of  a  house.  Upon  asking  in  Bohemian  for  a  job, 
I  got  my  opportunity,  not  only  to  work,  but  also 
to  enter  into  tiic  life  of  the  most  radical  section 
of  the  Bohemian  ctMumuniiy. 

The  man  who  employed  me  was  a  tailor  who, 
with  the  thrift  of  his  race,  had  saved  enough  money 


AMONG  THi:  BOHEMIANS  171 

that  when  the  evening  of  the  first  day's  labour 
came,  he  had  discovered  that  I  was  homeless  and 
offered  me  lodging  under  Ids  roof,  which,  of 
course,  I  most  graie fully  accepted. 

Not  only  was  the  place  scrupulously  clean,  but 
there  were  music  and  goud  literature.  The  latter 
was  decidedly  radical,  ranging  from  Spencer  to 
Ingersoll.  The  home  also  brought  me  in  contact 
with  people  of  some  education. 

At  that  time  the  social  life  of  the  men  s»ill  cen- 
tred almost  entirely  around  the  saloon,  an  institu- 
tion which  unfortunately  and  invariably  takes  on 
Anglo-Saxon  qualities,  no  matter  with  what  na- 
tional elements  it  is  started,  or  by  what  name  it  is 
called.  It  might  be  a  matter  of  some  interest  to 
discover  why  tliis  is  so ;  but  whatever  the  reason,  it 
is  certain  that  the  saloon  plays  an  important  part 
in  the  Americanizatio.i  of  the  immigrant.  It  fre- 
quently aims  to  preserve  his  social  tendencies 
and  usually  harbours  the  national  societies  which 
spring  up  in  every  immigrant  group. 

The  saloon  patronized  by  my  host  and  em- 
ployer was  located  on  Halstcad  Street  and  bore 
all  the  outer  marks  of  its  American  prototype, 
although  within  were  the  Bohemian  elements 
which  gave  it  something  of  a  home  or  club  at- 
mosphere. 

What  attracted  me  was  the  newspapers  which 


Ml 

II 

I 


172 


FROM  ALIKN  'IX>  CITIZEN 


were  kept  on  lile  and  the  meetings  of  a  Free- 
thinkers' Clul),  uhicli  had  its  lieadijuarters  there. 

i  was  in  the  mood  to  yield  myself  eompletely  to 
its  intliiencc  and  rejoiced  in  its  intellectual  atmos- 
phere, which  meant  more  to  me  than  hread  and 
meat  after  my  recent  stultifyiiig  experiences. 

This  radical  movement  which  seemed  so  natu- 
ral to  the  Bohemian  communities  at  that  time  was 
an  inevitahle  reaction  from  their  intolerant  past  in 
which  Church  and  State,  hishop  and  king  had  each 
been  bad.  and  together  did  their  worst. 

Out  of  an  environment  oi  sujjerstition  and  op- 
pression these  people  liad  ccjiiie  into  the  buoyant 
atmosphere  of  religious  freedum.  and  they  were 
breathing  like  men  escaped  from  a  tomb.  Much 
of  their  speech  was  like  the  raving  of  madmen, 
but.  after  all,  it  was  a  tine  idealism  to  which  they 
tried  to  give  expression,  and  this  movement,  harm- 
ful as  it  must  have  been  in  some  directions,  saved 
them  from  a  gross  materialism  to  which  they  were 
naturally  inclined. 

This  group,  which  I  joined,  was  then  reading 
the  essays  of  Thomas  Paine,  and  no  matter  what 
one  may  think  of  hi>  j)hilosophy  or  his  attitude 
toward  traditional  religion — it  seemed  to  me  won- 
derful, to  see  ditch  diggers,  tailors  and  cobblers, 
at  the  end  of  the  day's  work  discussing  such  serious 
literature  so  earnestly.    This  movement  amone  the 


AMONG  THK  BOHEMIANS 


178 


Bohemians  ha>  been  severely  attacked  as  atheistic. 
It  never  ileseaeil  that  opprobrium,  fi.r  at  its  heart 
it  was  rebj,'ious.  only  it  was  seekinjj  a  high,  free 
level.  It  never  was  dangcruus,  because,  in  spite  of 
the  attempt  to  inoculate  the  younger  generation, 
the  virus  never  tuok. 

For  some  reason,  anti-religious  movements  can- 
not be  propagated  in  this  country.  No  matter  how 
virile  the  movement  in  its  beginning,  it  dwindles 
und  dies,  and  the  second  generation  of  even  the 
most  radical  propagandists,  becomes  either  respect- 
ably religious,  or  blends  with  that  great  mass  of 
people  who  are  neither  hot  nor  cold  in  their  attitude 
toward  the  things  of  the  spirit. 

During  this  period  I  came  in  touch  with  a  num- 
ber of  anarchists  and  heard  their  vehement  on- 
slaught against  trganizcd  government.  While  I 
never  was  carried  away  by  their  extreme  indi- 
vidualism, and  never  was  in  danger  of  becoming 
an  assassin.  I  felt  keenly  the  injustice  they  de- 
plored, and  sympathized  deeply  with  them  in  their 
protest  against  the  brutal  hanging  of  some  of  their 
number,  wliich  not  long  before  had  startled  the 
United  States. 

In  the  exercise  of  justice,  governments  are  apt 
to  be  both  cruel  and  unjust,  and  I  am  not  sure  but 
that  the  verdict  against  the  Chicago  anarchists  will 
one  dav  be  revised  bv  a  generation  of  men  far 


17* 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


enough  removed  from  the  hate  and  prejudice  gen- 
dered at  that  time  to  judge  the  matter  impartially. 

I  heard  Mrs.  r'arscjns,  the  wife  oi  one  of  the 
condemned  anarchists,  and  suffered  greatly  as  I 
listened  to  her.  While  I  never  plottefl  violent 
deeds,  I  appreciated  her  desire  to  avenge  what  she 
called  judicial  murder.  After  all,  it  i>  easy  for  us 
who  arc  safely  removed  from  the  sufTering  and 
need  of  the  toilers,  to  condemn  the  radicals  or 
label  men  and  movements  with  a  name  which 
smacks  of  the  plague  or  the  pestilence.  It  was  a 
crowd  like  that  which  said  of  Jesus.  '"  He  hath  a 
devil,"  and  joined  in  the  ready  cry:  "Crucify 
Him!" 

The  one  thing  we  are  all  apt  to  forget  is,  that 
anarchy  and  kindred  movements  grow  out  of  a 
soil  made  stony  and  hard  by  injustice.  They  are 
symptoms  of  a  disease  in  the  b<jdy  social,  and  «he 
ill  cannot  be  cured  by  jailing  or  hanging  or  crucify- 
ing the  men  who  feel  the  hurt  most  and  cry  out  in 
their  agony. 

It  was  in  this  Chicago  Bohemian  saloon  that  I 
began  to  speak  in  public,  and  I  delivered  a  series 
of  talks  on  Bakunin  and  Tolstoy. 

The  latter's  religious  idealism  gave  no  little 
offence  to  my  auditors,  but  to  me  it  was  the  saving 
element  in  the  situation  and  kept  my  soul  alive 
durine  that  most  critical  oeriod.    These  talks  were 


AMONG  THE  BOHEMIANS 


175 


exceedingly  infunnal,  broken  into  by  questions, 
jests  antl  ridicule.  Although  I  always  began  with 
a  definite  theme,  all  the  affairs  of  the  universe 
which  needed  righting  were  usually  touched  upon 
before  I  finished. 

The  startling  thing  to  me  was  then,  and  now 
is,  the  latent  idealism  in  these  immigrant  groups 
which  can  make  of  even  a  saloon  scjmething  resem- 
bling a  people's  university.  Unfortunately,  this 
idealism  does  not  sunive  long,  for  in  that  very 
saloon  where  at  that  time  men  sat  and  leisurely 
drank  their  beer,  while  they  discussed  the  philos- 
ophy of  Bakunin  and  Tolstoy,  they  now  stand 
before  the  bar  and  make  a  business  of  drinking. 
They  may  discuss  a  prize  fight  or  the  latest  news 
from  the  baseball  field,  but  nothing  more  elevating. 

The  social  settlement  which  might  have  given 
me  a  grappling  place  for  the  higher  things,  if  it 
existed  at  all,  was  in  its  swaddling  clothes,  and  the 
so-called  respectable  people  never  wandered  into 
my  social  sphere. 

When  the  house  of  my  Bohemian  host  was  fin- 
ished I  found  a  job  in  a  machine  shop  and  gradu- 
ally lifted  myself  to  a  position  of  leadership  among 
my  shopmates.  During  the  noon  hour  they  would 
ask  me  questions  and  once  I  attempted  to  deliver 
an  address,  but  the  foreman  interfered,  a  quarrel 
ensued  and  I  was  summarily  discharged. 


176  FllO.M  ALIKN  TO  (  ITIZEN 

I  had  little  inoney  saved.  Imt  I  had  some  good 
clothing  and  an  accuniulatiun  of  paper-bound 
Ixjoks. 

Then  began  a  weary  juiirney  frmn  shop  to  mill 
in  a  vain  search  for  wurk  ,  until  niy  last  penny  was 
eaten  up,  all  my  surplus  clothing  had  Ijeconie 
security  for  my  lodging  and  the  bocjks  were  sold 
for  a  pittance. 

It  was  a  year  of  great  industrial  depression ; 
on  one  side,  over-production,  and  on  the  other, 
imdcr-consunipti(;n.  Strikes  an'l  riots  combined 
to  make  the  situation  abnormal,  and  after  even  the 
casual  jobs  failed  I  again  turned  westward,  this 
time  to  the  great  har\'est  fields  of  Minnesota. 


XVIII 
THE  GREAT  HARVEST  FIELDS 

THE  spirit  oi  a  city  is  as  real  as  its  bricks 
and  niurtar.  altlioujjh  less  changeable.  Of 
the  old  Chicago  which  I  knew,  little  is  left, 
except  here  and  there  a  struggling  lanchuark  that 
by  chance  has  escaped  the  ruthless  renewal  con- 
stantly going  on.  Its  spirit  is  .still  the  same,  al- 
thouglj  there  are  signs  that  its  dominant  ideal, 
when  crystallized,  may  read :  "  I  will  "  be  human. 

The  struggle  between  the  flesh  and  the  spirit  is 
always  diftkult  in  a  city  where  flesh  is  merchandise, 
and  where  buying  and  selling  it  are  not  confined 
to  the  stockyards  and  factories. 

The  spirit  of  Chicago  is  much  the  same  whether 
it  manifests  itself  in  the  shop  or  the  church,  in 
the  saloon  or  the  Sunday  school.  It  is  relentless — 
it  drives  the  "  man  with  the  hoe  "  or  the  man  with 
the  Bible  at  the  .same  speed,  and  souls  are  saved 
as  fiercely  as  they  are  damned. 

There  is  something  ma.sterful  about  it ;  yet  its 

very  masterfulness  is  by  virtue  of  horsepower  and 

gross  tonnage,  rather  than  by  the  power  of  soul 

177 


178  KKOM  ALIEN  TO  (  ITIZl.N 

atifl  mind.  It  has  both,  however,  and  it  is  no 
small  wonder  that  they  survive  and  grow. 

Tn  mc  Chicago  is  a  marvel,  made  iij)  as  it  is  of 
overlapping  strata  of  aliens  from  Ixyond  the  sea 
and  aliens  from  its  (uvn  surrounding  prairies — 
all  of  them  cast  into  her  tunrod  of  Ial>>ur,  eating 
their  hreail  by  the  sweat  of  their  brow  or  by  the 
shrewder  melh(;d — eating  it  by  the  sweat  of  other 
men's  brows.  Chicago  is  a  marvellous  city  to 
me;  not  because  of  the  cattle  she  kills  or  the  trains 
she  speeds  from  her  sheds  or  the  piles  of  stones 
she  has  set  into  skeletons  of  steel;  but  because  the 
human  soul  survives  and  tnen  can  get  away  from 
her  without  harm. 

When  I  left  Chicago  for  the  Minnesota  harvest 
fields  I  ofTcred  up  a  fer\ent  prayer  of  thanksgiv- 
ing for  being  able  to  go  from  it  alive;  al- 
though the  coming  and  going  are  easier  now.  and 
my  sojourn  always  pleasant.  I  still  have  that  same 
prayer  on  my  lips  whenever  I  leave  Chicago. 

It  is  not  easy  to  put  the  city  behind  you,  for  it 
stretches  far  beyond  the  railroad  yards  and  the 
grain  towers  and  the  belching  smokestacks.  Its 
suburbs,  like  little  children,  c'.ing  to  its  outskirts, 
and  the  wanderer  has  much  difficulty  in  finding  his 
way  into  the  unobstructed  country. 

The  highway  is  finally  reached  when  the  rails 
run  straight  toward  the  West,  and  smaller  or  larger 


THK  GRKAT  HARVKST  FIELDS      179 


groups  of  traveller^  arc  found  hovering  about  the 
tracks,  awaiting  the  opportune  moment  to  "  jump 
a  freight,"  a  most  interesting,  if  dangerous,  way 
of  leaving  the  city. 

It  takes  a  trained  hand  (or  foot)  to  kn-  w  just 
when  to  jump,  what  car  is  hkely  to  be  most  com- 
fortable, ami  how  to  avoid  fK-ing  detected  by  the 
train  crew.  For  all  this  I  depended  upon  a  stal- 
wart young  Geriiian,  whose  destination,  like  my 
own.  was  the  harvest  fields  of  Minnesota. 

Evidently  the  train  crew  was  alert,  for  we  were 
not  long  on  the  way  in  an  empty  car  when  we  re- 
ceived a  visit  from  several  of  the  trainmen,  They 
were  in  no  way  much  distinguished  from  us,  either 
by  clothes  or  character,  except  that  they  were  mas- 
ters of  the  situation. 

They  demanded  money,  and  when  it  was  not 
forthcoming  we  were  directed  to  hold  up  our 
hands,  and  they  helped  themselves  to  what  little 
change  we  had.  They  were  gentlemanly  enough, 
however,  to  leave  us  in  possession  of  the 
box  car  in  which  wc  spent  a  fairly  com- 
fortable night. 

In  the  morning  a  new  crew  came  to  visit  us. 
and  when  they  found  that  we  were  "  cleaned  out," 
they  told  us  in  their  choicest  English  to  "  get  out." 
which  we  proceeded  to  do. 

Wc  were  in  a  town  on  the  Mississippi  River, 


II 


180  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

but  not  1)11  the  side  where  the  rich  fields  lay,  the 
only  place  where  we  were  wanted. 

The  shores  were  connected  by  a  railroad  bridge, 
a  mere  steel  skeleton  thrown  across  the  water. 
The  railroad  crews  were  especially  vigilant  and 
we  were  thrown  from  every  train  we  jumped;  so 
that  finally  nothing  was  left  but  tij  try  the  danger- 
ous journey  on  foot,  between  trains,  the  young 
German  and  I  being  the  only  ones  willing  to  .ke 
the  risk. 

It  is  easy  enough  to  walk  on  railroad  ties  when 
the  solid  earth  is  a  foot  or  so  beneath,  but  a  r^  ;ng 
river  under  one's  feet  confuses  the  eyes;  so  our 
progress  was  slow  and  not  at  all  pleasant.  Many 
a  time  I  felt  like  turning  back,  but  it  was  easier  t(j 
follow  the  impulse  that  carried  me  forward. 
Within  a  (juarter  oi  a  mile  of  the  other  shore  I 
heard  some  one  ,>houting,  and,  lojking  up.  saw  a 
man  wildly  waving  at  us  from  t!ie  river's  bank. 
Then  came  the  sharp  whistle  of  a  locomotive,  and 
to  my  horror  a  train  thundered  onto  the  bridge. 

The  only  thing  to  do  was,  squeeze  between  the 
tics,  cling  to  a  horizontal  beam  and  hang  beneath 
the  trr-k  until  the  train  pas.^ed.  It  seemed  hours 
before  we  crawled  back  onto  the  trestle,  and  with 
faces  bespattered  by  escaping  steam  and  ashes, 
finished  the  perilou>  journey. 

A  genuinely  Irish  scolding,  but  nothing  worse, 


mm^m^cm^ 


THE  GREAT  H.VRVEST  FIELDS     181 

awaited  us  when  wc  reached  the  watchman's  house. 
From  him  we  also  received  the  doleful  news  that 
the  harxest  in  that  part  of  Minnesota  was  fin- 
ished. He  told  us  that  we  still  Iiad  a  Rreat  many 
miles  to  travel  before  we  would  find  the  work  we 
were  seeking,  and  added  for  our  encouragement 
that  "  harvest  hands  this  year  seem  to  be  as  thick 
as  grasshoppers." 

My  travelling  companion  was  a  strong,  good- 
natured  fellow  who  knew  the  ways  of  the  road,  al- 
though he  was  not  a  tramp.  He  managed  to  pro- 
cure food  for  both  of  us  and  knew  how  to  cook  it. 
At  night  we  slept  beneath  the  stars  on  a  bed  which 
he  prepared,  and  which  I  recall  with  a  certain  long- 
ing many  a  time  when  I  am  cooped  in  between  the 
walls  of  a  civilized  bedroom.  We  inquired  for 
work  and  easily  secured  the  few  hours'  labour 
which  supplied  our  simple  wants. 

As  we  tramped  on  into  the  glorious  autumn 
there  was  a  sense  of  freedom  alxjut  it  all  which 
might  have  proved  dangerous  to  some  natures; 
but  I  was  most  happy  w  h<;n  at  last  we  reached  the 
first  Pelds  wliere  the  grain  was  still  uncut  and  the 
farmer  chose  me  to  be  his  helper. 

I  do  not  know  upon  what  basis  he  made  his 
choice,  for  I  was  smaller  and  slighter  than  my  com- 
panion, and  not  used  to  the  hard  lalxnir  which 
awaited  m.e      So  my  German  companion  and  I 


m^^mwmmm^ 


182 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


parted,  and  1  was  both  glad  and  sorry  to  see 
him  go. 

I  revelled  in  the  orderly,  clean  room  assigned 
me,  and  after  a  good  supper  went  to  sleep,  glad 
to  say  good-bye  to  the  road  once  more  and  begin 
life  over  again. 

I  seemed  to  have  slept  but  a  few  minutes  when 
I  was  awakened,  and,  accompanied  by  my  em- 
ployer, went  to  the  stable  to  help  with  the  morning 
chores. 

Soon  I  followed  the  harvester  which  ate  its 
way  through  the  white  fields,  dropping  the  fat 
bundles  of  wheat.  These  I  carried  away  and 
formed  into  companionable  groups  by  planting 
them  safely,  with  their  heavy  heads  together,  put- 
ting over  them  the  sheltering  sheaf.  It  was  a  novel 
task  for  me  and  each  shock  was  something  of  an 
achievement.  .Mihough  my  arms  were  scratched 
by  the  bearded  grain  and  all  my  muscles  ached, 
there  was  an  exhilaration  about  it  which  I  have 
never  felt  at  any  other  work.  Then  the  farmer 
was  a  royal  fellow,  a  typical  American  of  good 
education,  and.  best  of  all.  there  were  children  who 
came  trooping  to  the  fiold  carrying  jugs  of  water 
and  a  luncheon  of  bread  and  butter.  They  made 
friends  with  the  stranger,  and  soon  the  work  was 
all  joy.  if  not  all  play. 

It  is  true   that  the  evening  did  not  conic  too 


THE  GREAT  HARVEST  FItXDS      183 

soon  and  that  the  chores  were  done  with  a  very 
weary  body,  but  it  was  a  wonderful  evening. 
After  a  hearty  supper  and  a  rninp  with  the  chil- 
dren there  were  family  prayers  and  a  hymn  which 
the  mother  accompanied  on  a  cottage  organ.  Then 
all  retired. 

There  was  excessive  heat  during  that  harvest 
time,  varied  by  desperate  storms  which  swept 
wildly  across  those  Minnesota  prairies  while  I 
continued  at  the  hard  task  of  lifting  bundles  of 
grain  and  building  shocks ;  but  somehow,  out  in  the 
glory  of  God's  fields  I  forgot  my  wrongs  and  suf- 
ferings, and  something  of  faith  and  hope  came 
stealing  back. 

I  stayed  through  the  harvest  and  helped  with 
the  threshing,  and  when  that  was  finished  I  was 
loath  to  go  and  the  farmer  was  loath  to  see  me 
go;  so  I  stayed  until  the  corn  was  cut  and  put  in 
shock. 

That  rural  community  on  the  banks  of  the  Miss- 
issippi was  characteristically  American — that  is, 
thorou,c;hly  mixed.  Our  farm  was  joined  on  one 
side  by  that  of  a  Frenchman  who  bad  come  into 
possession  of  the  land  by  marrying  a  squaw,  whom 
he  divorced,  but  who  at  that  time  was  taking  care 
of  the  children  of  the  Frenchwoman  whom  he  had 
married. 


>     1 


f3^ 


fe^5^?a 


:^Kv  ^j^i,i:^;s^f^^^-&m..:-m^^:. 


-^jf*  <»  >■: 


184 


FRO!VI  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


curi(jU3  and  iiittrc-tmj,'  (icrnian,  who  raised  most 
wonderful  \cgctahk^  and  livctl  hi^  xiolin  and  his 
beer.  Sunday  aftern'tidis  we  would  spend  together 
talking  about  the  I'atherlanfl.  ami  he  wnuld  play 
and  I  would  sing  some  of  those  solemn  folksongs 
which  the  (ierman  likes  to  sing  when  he  is  most 
happy. 

In  another  direction  our  neighbours  were 
Swedes,  at  that  time  as  much  disliked  as  Italians 
and  Hungarians  arc  now.  In  thu^o  [li'^noer  days 
the  Swedes  had  a  decidedly  Imw  standard  of  living, 
or  perhaps  spent  little  money  except  for  the  bare 
necessities  of  life. 

Saturday  was  a  great  day,  for  in  the  afternoon 
the  entire  family  Wduld  drive  to  triwn  in  the  four- 
seated  wagonette,  and  most  of  the  time  I  was  per- 
mitted to  go. 

There  was  shopping  to  do  and  the  German  bar- 
ber would  cut  my  thick,  refractory  locks.  There 
was  a  public  library  where  I  cnuld  borrnw  books 
and  pick  up  the  lost  threads  of  Ivnglish  literature, 
at  its  best. 

I  loved  Carlyle;  the  very  rush  of  his  speech 
stimulated  me.  although  involved  as  his  sentences 
were,  the  meaning  was  frequently  obscure.  His 
"  Heroes  and  Hero  Worship"  I  read  in  the  few 
snatches  of  twilight  which  remained  after  the 
chores  were  done,  'ir  at  noon,  when  th.e   fanner 


Ii9 


THE  GREAT  lURVEST  FIELDS      185 

was  smoking  his  after-dinner  pipe.  I  suppose  one 
cannot  read  Carlyle  without  being  mastered  by 
him.  I.  at  least,  lived  in  the  current  of  his  ideas 
for  a  long  time,  and  although  now  I  rarely  read 
him,  I  still  feel  as  if  something  of  his  prophetic 
power  had  remained  with  me. 

There  was  a  set  of  Dickens  in  the  house,  but, 
strange  to  say.  few  of  his  characters  appealed  to 
me.  Many  of  them  I  thought  were  caricatures 
and  all  looked  to  me  as  if  poured  into  a  mould, 
stiff  and  unyielding.  Perhaps  I  was  tfx>  serious, 
and  so  did  not  relish  his  humour. 

To  this  period  I  owe  a  brief  acquaintanceship 
with  Ruskin,  who  helped  to  spiritualize  and  soften 
my  social  views,  and  who  made  me  see  cloud  and 
stone  and  leaf  with  a  new  appreciation  of  their 
beauty. 

The  farmer  read  the  Bible  every  evening,  and  I 
felt  then,  and  still  feel,  that  its  unsurpassed  Eng- 
lish alone  ought  to  give  it  a  place  in  each  day's 
metlitation.  If  it  could  do  nothing  else  for  the 
growing  generation,  it  would  refine  and  strengthen 
its  speech. 

It  made  no  religious  appeal  to  me  then.  In- 
deed, I  was  strongly  agnostic  toward  its  teachings, 
but  the  good  man's  prayers  moved  me  deeply,  espe- 
cially as  he  always  prayed  for  me  in  a  most  tender 
and  touching  way. 


hxf^m^'^:^:s:^;mm. 


186  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

The  atmosphere  of  the  hunie,  wliich  was  thor- 
oughly Puritan,  was  remarkably  sympathetic  to 
me;  for  Puritanism  and  Judaism  are  '  hildren  of 
the  same  spirit. 

I  could  feel  it  in  the  dominance  of  religious 
ideals  expressed  in  prayers  and  grace  before  meals, 
the  ascetic  view  in  its  attitude  toward  amusements, 
its  sublimely  moral  tone  in  the  relation  between 
the  sexes,  and  the  shrewd  business  sense.  Even  its 
casuistry  was  Jewish;  so  were  the  names  of  the 
children — Esther,  Samuel,  Isaac  and  Joseph,  while 
the  fanner's  name  was  Jeremiah  and  his  wife, 
Ruth. 

I  was  then  in  the  period  when  poetry  appealed 
to  me,  and  I  remember  one  day,  in  a  reckless  mood, 
buying  a  number  of  Harper's  Magacine  because  it 
contained  Longfellow's  "  Morituri  Salutamus."  I 
fear  I  bored  the  whole  neighbourhood  by  reading 
it  aloud  wherever  I  went,  it  so  fitted  my  mood. 
Even  now  those  stately  lines  often  come  back 
tc  me: 

"  O  ye  familiar  scenes,  ye  groves  of  pine 
That  once  were  mine  and  are  no  longer  mine ; 
Thou  river,  widening  through  the  meadows  green 
To  the  vast  sea,  so  near  and  yet  unseen." 

With  those  lines  comes  back  the  sense  of  security 
and  serenity  I  felt  at  the  close  of  day.  with  its 


•w* 


■^tm^-mi'i^J^ 


<-ar/-^i, 


THE  GREAT  HARVEST  FIELDS     187 

consciousness  of  honest,  hard  work  well  done,  the 
sweet,  hot  smell  of  soil  and  grasses,  the  calves  and 
colts  that  I  fed  and  called  by  name,  and  within 
me  the  growth  of  a  new  man.  So  happy  was  I 
that  I  had  already  mapped  out  for  myself  a  life  to 
be  spent  on  the  soil. 

In  imagination  I  became  the  owner  of  many 
acres,  with  a  home  in  the  midst  of  green  fields, 
filled  by  books  and  music.  Even  the  wife  and  chil- 
dren were  there,  the  barns  and  the  cattle,  while 
over  it  all  hovered  the  benediction  of  peace.  I 
was  ready  to  forget  the  turmoil  and  greed  of  the 
city,  the  injustice  of  courts  and  jails,  the  hunger 
men  suffered  in  the  midst  of  plenty,  the  heat  of  the 
smelter  and  the  depths  of  the  mine. 

My  future  should  be  lived  in  a  Tolstoyan  idyll: 
but  life  was  not  to  be  of  my  own  planning.  When 
the  first  sharp  frosts  had  turned  the  verdure  black, 
and  the  shocks  of  corn,  like  rows  of  Indian  tepees, 
dotted  the  fields  sloping  toward  the  Mississippi,  the 
farmer  paid  me  my  wages  and  again  I  was  home- 
less ;  for  the  work  of  the  year  was  done. 


XIX 


MINE  NO.  3 

I    KNEW  that  I  must  go  up  and  not  down — 
that  I  must  conserve  the  place  I  had  reached, 
at  least  in  my  own  self-esteem;  but  where  to 
go  and  what  to  do  was  less  easy  to  decide. 

Winter  was  at  hand,  the  farmers  were  all  dis- 
charging their  extra  help,  anil  much  of  the  money 
I  had  earned  had  gone  for  suitable  clothing.  The 
East  was  far  away,  and  even  if  I  were  able  to  reach 
it,  there  was  no  certainty  that  work  of  any  kmd 
could  be  secured.  I  knew,  from  past  bitter  experi- 
ence, how  little  likeliho(jd  there  was  of  obtaining 
the  kind  of  employment  which  would  give  me  a 
cliance  io  use  the  mental  tools  with  which  I  was 
eciuipped,  and  which  had  fallen  sadly  into  disuse. 
In  studying  the  map  of  the  United  States,  fol- 
lowing with  my  eye  the  Mississippi  River  and  its 
tributaries,  I  noticed  a  city  which  flashed  upon 
my  memory  the  names  of  some  Slovaks  whom  I 
had  met  on  the  steamer,  and  who  had  gone  there  to 
mine  coal.  Hoping  that  in  a  city  where  Slavs  con- 
gregated, my  knowledge  of  their  language  might 

188 


MINE  NO.  3 


180 


be  of  some  use.  I  decided  to  make  that  place  my 
objective  p<jint. 

The  farmer  drove  me  to  a  neightouring  town 
where  I  waited  until  past  midnight,  when,  taking  a 
belated  river  boat,  I  was,  for  the  first  time  in  Amer- 
ica, travelling  toward  a  definite  goal. 

My  earliest  reading  about  the  Mississippi  River 
was  a  German  illustrated  story— in  which  the 
artist  pictured  the  river  tluwing  through  a  jungle 
of  tropical  vegetation,  with  monkeys  on  the  tree- 
tops  throwing  a  tcoanuts  at  each  (jther. 

This  phase  of  natural  scenery  failed  to  disclose 
itself;  but  a  very  picturesque  element  of  th  ur- 
ney  was  the  Negro  roustabouts  who  gave  le  a 
chance  to  enlarge  my  ethnological  exi>erience.  and 
brought  me  face  to  face  with  the  race  cjuestion  at 
its  most  acute  angle,  making  my  own  problem  in- 
significant in  comparison. 

To  the  casual  observer,  the  coloured  people  are 
just  Negroes;  but  to  me  they  were  a  new  ethno- 
logical exhibit,  representing  as  they  did  the  most 
primitive  type  of  Guinea  Negro,  the  finest  Arabian, 
and  varied  mixtures,  in  which  the  infusion  of 
Anglo-Saxon  blood  was  the  most  startling  and 
tragic  element. 

Frankly,  T  did  not  find  them  objectionable;  al- 
though we  camped  on  the  same  deck.  Whatever 
aversion  to  the  Negro  I  have  ever  felt,  has  not 


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come  from  association  with  him;  but  rather  from 
association  with  white  men  whose  attitu(5c  of  mind 
acted  contagiously  upon  my  own.  To  me  they 
were  a  very  pleasant  variation  from  the  rather 
monotonous  human  type  which  one  meets  in 
America,  and  which,  no  matter  how  dissimilar  in 
the  beginning,  has  been  shaped  into  a  common  like- 
ness by  the  new  and  uniform  environment. 

The  Negroes  of  that  Mississippi  River  boat 
showed  a  never-ceasing  good  nature,  expressed  in 
the  heartiest  laughter;  while  their  weird,  rhythmic 
chant  made  their  hard  labour  seem  a  pleasure. 
Their  carefree  ways,  which  not  only  let  the  mor- 
row take  care  of  itself,  but  also  forgot  the  grudges 
and  the  trials  of  yesterday,  made  them  a  most  in- 
teresting type  for  me  to  study ;  while  their  manifest 
faults  and  vices  have  never  presented  a  sufficient 
barrier  to  prevent  my  seeing  in  them  the  altogether 
human,  or  keep  me  from  paying  them  the  respect 
one  owes  to  all  humanity. 

One  cold  morning  in  late  Fall  I  landed  in  an 
Illinois  city,  with  fifty  miles  between  me  and  my 
goal,  and  with  money  enough  to  take  mc  about  half 
way  there,  after  which  it  was  just  a  good  day's 
exercise  along  the  railroad  track. 

The  town  lay  uninvitingly  among  the  coal  mines 
which  gave  it  life.  Its  geometric  streets  contained 
the  usual   stores  with  the  invariable  surplus   of 


MINE  NO.  » 


191 


saloons.  The  residence  districts  stretched  in  every 
(hrcction;  while  at  the  most  undesirable  edges  of 
town  the  miners  had  settled  in  hopeless,  unkempt 
groups.  These  localities  were  known  as  prisoners 
arc — merely  by  numbers,  and  were  fast  deteriorat- 
ing; for  the  more  stable  and  advanced  population 
of  Welsh  and  German  miners  was  giving  way  to 
the  changeable,  newer,  immigrant  groups. 

The  only  work  I  could  find  immediately,  above 
ground,  V.-XS  in  a  lumber  yard,  and  I  established 
myself  in  a  boarding  house  kept  in  the  basement 
of  one  of  the  business  blocks  in  the  main  street,  and 
so  plunged  into  the  sluggish  stream  of  the  city's 
life. 

Its  upper  current,  as  far  as  I  could  feel  it.  was 
dominated  by  two  rival  newspapers,  which,  bi- 
weekly, flung  Billingsgate  at  each  other;  and  a  Ger- 
man singing  society  which  met  every  Sunday  after- 
noon, and  in  which  the  drinking  and  the  singmg 
were  so  mixed  that  it  proved  quite  distasteful 
to  me. 

My  greatest  attraction  was  a  bakeshop  and 
candy  store  combined,  kept  by  some  diminutive 
WMshmen  who  had  been  pushed  up  from  the 
mine  by  the  Slav  invasion. 

The  owners  were  very  kind  to  me,  and  it  was 
one  of  them  who,  on  a  Sunday  evening,  took  me  to 
his  church.    The  service  was  in  charge  of  a  thee- 


198 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


logical  student,  and  the  vagueness  of  his  discourse 
was  the  only  thing  which  impressed  me  on  that  oc- 
casion. Having  transgressed  in  the  same  way, 
not  many  years  later,  I  have  forgiven  him  the  dull 
half  hour  I  then  endured. 

One  day  a  German  came  to  the  boarding  house, 
claiming  that  he  had  just  landed.  I  took  him  about 
town  helping  him  look  for  work,  and  at  night 
made  a  bed  for  him  in  the  stable  of  the  lumber 
yard,  that  being  under  my  especial  care.  In  the 
morning  when  I  went  to  attend  to  my  horse  I 
found  that  it  was  gone,  and  with  it  the  best  buggy 
in  the  barn.  As  the  German  was  also  missing,  it 
was  r.ot  difficult  to  know  to  whom  to  charge  the 
theft.  My  employer  suspected  me  of  complicity 
in  the  affair,  and  took  me  to  the  chief  of  police. 
After  being  closely  questioned  I  was  released  both 
from  his  custody  and  from  my  job. 

Fortunately,  I  had  previously  met  the  Slovaks 
with  whom  I  crossed  the  ocean,  and  with  them  I 
again  began  life,  as  a  miner.  I  must  confess  that 
the  work  brought  me  no  joy  and  I  never  learned  it 
with  any  degree  of  proficiency. 

This  change  removed  me  somewhat  more  from 
the  town,  necessitating,  as  it  did,  my  living  in  an 
isolated  Slovak  "  patch  "  near  the  mine,  which  I 
think  was  known  as  No.  3.  The  boarding  house 
was  presided  over  by  the  wife  of  one  of  my  fellow- 


MINE  NO.  3 


19S 


workmen,  r.nd  was  as  neat  and  clean  as  a  woman 
could  make  a  house  in  which  from  twelve  to  fif- 
teen men  ate  and  slept,  and  in  which  she  was  also 
trying  to  rear  her  little  family. 

What  made  her  task  more  dilTicult,  was  the  fact 
that  the  "  patch  "  seemed  to  be  a  law  unto  itself, 
as  far  as  cleanliness  or  even  sanitary  conditions 
was  concerned.  The  only  time  it  realized  that  it 
was  under  some  government  control  was.  when  the 
officers  came  to  interfere  in  the  not  infrequent 
brawls. 

The  miners  were  entirely  out  of  touch  with  the 
community,  except  through  the  saloons,  which 
were  still  in  the  hands  of  Germans  and  fairly 
decent;  especially  one  of  them,  whose  owner 
rarely  stepped  behind  the  bar;  and  whose  children 
were  prohibited  from  patronizing  the  place. 

The  town  as  a  whole  was  law-abiding  and  re- 
spectable, and  its  general  influence  upon  the  for- 
eign group  was  good.  If  there  had  been  seme 
man  or  group  of  men  who  would  have  brought  the 
community  and  the  strangers  into  vital  relation- 
ship, the  results  might  have  been  far  better  than 
they  now  are. 

The  number  of  Slovaks  was  small  enough  at 
that  time  to  have  discovered  and  developed  lead- 
ers among  them.  But  there,  as  everywhere  else, 
we    were    regarded   as    inferior    interlopers    and 


VjAi^ 


WM 


':-f';^,'rb-''-iP^:!'  '  ■".■ 


:'rv— ,  ^-ivT"^ 


194 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


treated  witli  contempt.  This  particular  group  with 
which  !  was  associated  was  made  up  of  a  very 
virile  and  superior  class  of  men,  all  of  them  teach- 
able. 

I  started  English  classes  among  them,  wrote 
their  letters,  hcljjcd  them  with  their  shopping,  and 
was  limited  in  my  service  to  them  only  by  lack  of 
time  and  stre''i.;jth. 

They  were  all  deeply  religious,  or  perhaps  they 
were  merely  punctilious  in  their  religious  observ- 
ances. I  regret  deeply  that  I  tried  to  wean  them 
from  the  church,  and  that  in  many  cases  I  suc- 
ceeded. After  all  I  haij  nothing  better  to  give 
them,  and  the  church  with  its  familiar  rites  and 
sacraments,  rendered  them  a  service  which  I  could 
not. 

These  Slovaks  belonged  to  three  diflFerent 
churches:  The  Roman  Catholic,  the  Greek  Ortho- 
dox and  the  Lutheran.  The  latter  group  was  small 
and  had  no  minister  or  church.  They  were  the  men 
mostly  easily  influenced  by  me,  and  were,  on  the 
whole,  the  most  intelligent. 

I  frequently  met  the  priests,  very  devoted,  but 
narrow-minded  men.  They  were  a  rare  combina- 
tion of  worldliness  and  other-worldliness  which 
stood  ihem  in  good  stead,  keeping  them  near  their 
f^ock,  and  at  the  same  time  far  removed  from  it. 

A  cassock  and  a  cross  or  an  unusual  head-dress 


MINE  NO.  3 


195 


are  wonderful  helps  in  maintaining  priestl:  lignity, 
and  cast  a  peculiar  spell  over  the  individual,  even 
if  he  be  but  an  ignorant  immigrant.  The  preacher 
who  wears  a  business  suit  in  order  to  be  like  other 
men,  has  thrown  aside  a  valuable  aid  in  his  ap- 
proach to  the  average  man,  accustomed  to  seeing 
the  messenger  of  God  in  his  robes  of  office. 

I  recall  attending  a  Protestant  church  service, 
held  in  the  opera  house.  The  preacher  was  an 
avowed  advocate  of  labour  and  its  rights.  After 
the  sermon  he  announced  his  intention  of  lea  lig 
the  church  and  giving  himself  completely  to  the 
cause  he  championed.  This  service,  in  spite  of 
that  dramatic  incident,  lacked  all  the  setting  which 
the  foreigner  connects  with  public  worship,  and  I 
feel  reasonably  certain  that  because  the  appeal  of 
the  Evangelical  church  lacks  the  ritualistic  back- 
ground, there  are  comparatively  few  immigrants 
affected  by  it.  unless  they  have  come  to  this  coun- 
try with  similar  traditions. 

Regularly  every  day  except  Sunday.  I  '^escenkd 
into  the  mine,  which  was  then  being  worked  at  a 
low  level,  and  little  by  little  all  the  resistance  I  had 
felt  to  this  form  of  labour  disappeared;  although 
I  never  descended  without  fear,  and  never  saw  day- 
light without  joy. 

The  man  with  whom  I  worked,  whose  helper  I 
was.  an  uneducated  unspoiled  Slav  of  about  thirty, 


196 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


had  cuiiic,  like  most  of  hi^  kind,  lured  by  the  high 
wages.  He  had  left  his  wile  and  little  children 
behind,  to  labour,  stint  and  save,  and  hoi)ed  finally 
to  lift  himself  above  the  low  social  and  economic 
status  which  was  the  lot  of  his  class.  He  talked  to 
me  frequently  of  the  pain  of  the  pariing  and  th.e 
joyous  anticipation  of  going  home.  His  whole 
mind  was  set  upon  the  increase  of  his  savings, 
and  he  toiled  like  a  man  hungry  for  his  work,  as  in 
his  stolid  way  he  faced  unflinchingly  the  dangers  of 
the  daily  task. 

We  worked  in  close  pro.ximity,  rarely  being  more 
than  ten  feet  apart.  One  day  I  was  loading  the 
car  when  the  roof  of  the  chamber  gave  way.  In 
falling,  a  huge  slab  of  rock  became  wedged  be- 
tween the  car  and  a  corner  of  the  chamber.  The 
lighter  end  was  on  my  side  and  the  heavier  part 
fell  upon  my  companion,  crushing  him  beneath  its 
weight.  He  was  taken  out  alive,  lingered  a  few 
weeks  and  died. 

It  was  more  than  twenty  years  before  I  re- 
turned to  that  mine,  but  I  did  not  descend.  Above 
it  in  a  spacious  auditorium,  I  lectured  to  some  who 
knew  me  when,  with  miner's  cap  and  blackened 
face,  I  walked  through  that  city — to  many  more 
who  did  not  know  that  I  ever  had  been  thee; 
while  a  few  among  the  number  were  of  supreme 
interest  to  me. 


MINE  NO.  3  197 

One  of  them,  a  Welshman,  risen  from  the  mine, 
had  lifted  the  coinnumity  with  him  and  permeated 
it  with  his  practical  idealism.  His  influence  was 
felt  in  every  mine  and  she;,  of  his  state,  and  even 
beyond  its  borders,  ile  was  the  "  strong  man.  the 
hiding  place  in  time  of  storm  "  for  the  lesser  folk; 
the  man  for  whom  men  and  comnmnities  wait — too 
often  in  vain. 

Because  the  men  who  thus  arise  are  so  rare,  and 
the  cities  blessed  by  them  so  few,  I  shall  name 
both.  The  man  is  J.  L.  Williams,  and  the  place, 
Streator,  111. 

The  other  person  of  special  interest  to  me  on  my 
recent  visit  there  was  a  tall,  handsome  woman, 
with  a  fine  American  face  which  show^'d  a  Slavic 
background.     She  was  not  sensitive  about  her  age 
and  unhesitatingly  recalled  incidents  of  more  than 
twenty  years  previous;  neither  was  she  too  proud 
to  speak  of  her  life  in  the  bearding  house  kept  by 
her  mother,  near  mine  Xo.  3.     She  was  the  little 
Katherina.  the  Slovak  girl  grown  into  an  Ameri- 
can  woman;  one  of  those  ethnological  miracles 
of  which  our  country  is  now  so  full,  and  which 
have  never  received  the  attention  they  deserve. 
She  is  the  first  generation  of  a  new  race  which 
will  hold  in  its  keeping  the  weal  and  woe  of  our 
country. 

Here  are  Anglo-Saxon  ideals  engrafted  upon 


^J' 


198 


FKOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


Slavic  stock;  the  spirit  of  democracy  pulsing  in 
one  whose  mind  is  no  more  enthralled  by  autocracy 
and  befogged  by  superstition;  a  woman  whose 
foremothers  were  all  doubly  enslaved,  being  both 
serfs  and  women.  Now,  this,  their  descendant  is 
doubly  free — woman  and  enfranchized  citizen. 

I  looked  at  her  w  ith  reverence ;  for  she  is  the 
potential  mother,  the  guardian  of  the  veiled  future. 
I  saw  her  amc^ng  the  people  from  whom  she  had 
risen,  the  father  and  mother  who  had  come  so 
many  years  before  from  the  Carpathian  moun- 
tains to  the  plains  of  Illinois,  and  I  said :  "  What 
hath  God  wrought !  " 

Her  parents  have  left  the  mining  patch  and  the 
boarding  house,  and  have  attained  a  position 
from  which  they  can  look  down  in  pride,  to  the 
level  from  which  they  have  risen. 

Together  we  walked  to  the  hut  in  which  we  all 
had  lived,  and  each  of  us  gave  thanks  to  God  in  his 
own  way.  We  all  were  grateful  that,  having 
served  our  apprenticeship  in  the  school  of  poverty 
and  hard  labour,  we  were  neither  ashamed  of  the 
one,  nor  afraid  of  the  other. 


XX 

AN  IRISH  PROVIDENCE 


THE  first  part  of  the  prophecy  which  made 
such  an  impression  upon  my  childish  mind 
had  been  fulfilled;  I  had  gone  to  a  far 
country.  The  second  part  looked  doubtful;  as 
yet  I  had  not  married  the  rich  woman  nor  even 
met  her. 

Since  the  somewhat  tragic  love  affairs  of  my 
boyhood,  life  had  been  a  series  of  struggles,  in 
which  woman  played  but  a  small  part.  Sometimes 
in  the  softer  moods  of  my  hard  life  in  this  country, 
there  rose  before  me  visions  of  the  American  girl 
who,  when  I  was  eight  years  of  age,  had  visited 
my  native  town.  I  had  fallen  desperately  in  love 
with  her,  and  she  seemed  to  reciprocate  my  affec- 
tion. 

I  remembered  the  name  of  the  city  where  she 
lived,  and  found  that  it  was  not  far  from  the 
place  in  which  I  closed  my  career  as  a  miner. 
Frequently  I  thought  of  going  there  to  renew  my 
boyhood's  courtship;  but  realizing  that  I  was 
scarcely  in  a  position  to  appear  as  the  suitor  of  a 

199 


200 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


rich  young  lady  I  deferred  going  until  the  day 
when  gwyd  fi^rtune  sliuuld  smile  uikjh  me. 

But  the  smile  never  came.  l\rtune  kept  on 
frowning,  and  when  her  frown  .seemed  darkest, 
I  left  the  mining  patc'i  and  went  to  the  place 
wlicre  my  American  playmate  lived.  The  city 
boasted  of  being  the  most  wicked  in  the  slate, 
with  nine  of  its  "  bc^t  "  citizens  in  the  penitentiary. 
It  possessed  a  nuitiber  of  other  unenviable  dis- 
tincti(»ns  which  need  not  be  mentioned. 

It  was  a  bad  city  and  Ic  iked  it.  The  odour  of 
beer  and  spirits  permeated  its  very  atinosphere, 
and  the  influence  of  the  li(]uor  traffic  was  felt  in 
the  schools,  the  courthouse,  the  synagogue  and 
the  church. 

The  original  settlers  were  Germans,  whose  de- 
scendants, more  or  less  mixed  with  other  national- 
ities, had  deteriorated  and  were  sowing  the  wild 
oats  which  were  to  bring  such  an  abundant  harvest 
in  later  years. 

I  soon  learned  that  the  parents  of  my  childhood's 
love  were  among  the  most  prominent  people  in  the 
place,  and  1  did  not  present  myself  to  renew  our 
old  and  ardent,  if  brief  courtship.  I  did  go  to 
the  factory  owned  by  her  father  to  ask  for  work. 
My  application  was  favourably  received,  and  I 
was  assigned  a  task  which  required  intelligent  at- 
tention, and  kept  me  employed  twelve  hours  a  day. 


AN  IRISH  PROVIDENCE  «01 

When  the  night  man  did  not  appear  I  worked 
forty-eight  hours  wiiliout  intermission,  except  the 
time  for  meals. 

The  manager  of  the  factory  was  the  owner's 
son,  one  of  the  boys  who  so  upHftcd  my  youthful 
spirit  by  climbing  to  the  top  of  the  Maypole.  It 
was  a  sore  temptation  to  make  myself  known;  es- 
pecially as  he  frequently  came  into  the  department 
where  I  was  employed.  Once  he  brought  his  sis- 
ter to  watch  the  process  of  which  I  had  charge. 
Evidently,  she  had  forgotten  all  about  me;  for  as 
I  stood  there,  uncon>ciously  staring  at  her— trying 
to  trace  in  her  beautiful,  mature  face  the  little 
girl  I  had  known,  she  called  her  brother's  attention 
to  my  rudeness  and  I  received  a  severe  reprimand. 

Frequently  I  passed  the  huise  where  she  lived 
to  catch  a  glimpse  of  her.  and  when  I  succeeded 
it  was  the  one  uplift  of  my  dull  and  dreary  ex- 
istence. 

That  autumn  the  severe  monotony  of  my  life 
was  relieved  by  the  excitement  of  an  election,  the 
first  I  had  witnessed,  and  which  gave  me  an  op- 
portunitv  to  see  American  poli'Ts  at  their  worst. 

Interesting,  if  not  convincing,  were  the  trap- 
pings of  marching  clubs,  the  crash  of  brass  bands 
and  the  no  less  noisy  political  orators;  while  the 
open-handed  bribery  and  corruption  did  not  in- 
crease my  respect  for  this  country. 


202 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


Both  factory  and  boarding  house  were  invaded 
by  politicians  of  all  grades;  wlulc  democracy  rev- 
elled in  shaking  handb  and  passing  free  cigars  and 
free  beer  ad  nuuscam. 

The  owner  ui  the  factory  ran  for  alderman, 
for  reasons  best  known  to  himself,  thus  giving 
the  election  persona'  significance. 

On  the  great  day  when  the  votes  were  cast  the 
shop  whistles  did  not  blow  as  early  as  usual ;  for 
the  entire  force  had  gone  to  the  polls  to  vote  as 
directed.  I  would  have  had  no  difficulty  in  de- 
positing my  vote.  When  it  was  challenged,  some 
one  was  ready  to  swear  to  my  right  to  the  fran- 
chise, but  on  understanding  the  conditions  I  volun- 
tarily withdrew. 

The  whole  situation  disgusted  me.  The  ballot 
box,  which  in  visions  I  had  pictured  as  something 
holy  enough  to  be  beautiful,  and  precious  enough 
to  be  carefully  protected,  proved  to  be  a  mean 
looking  receptacle  wedged  in  between  a  barber 
shop  and  a  saloon ;  with  the  worst  element  of  the 
community  seeming  to  have  charge  of  its  affairs — 
but  not  guarding  its  purity. 

The  results  of  the  local  election  were  foreknown 
and  properly  celebrated.  The  elated  citizens 
marched  from  saloon  to  brothel  and  back  again, 
rejoicing  with  the  denizens  of  the  under  world 
who  were  most  happy  over  the  returns. 


AN  IRISH  PROVIDKNCE 


808 


As  for  the  factory,  it  seemed  fairly  to  reel  the 
morning  after  the  election,  for  every  one  was  more 
or  less  under  the  influence  of  liquor.  At  the 
boarding  house  the  day  began  with  a  quarrel  and 
ended  in  a  free  fight  between  the  Irish  and  the 
Germans,  who  had  been  antagonists  at  the  ballot 

box. 

One  evening  that  winter,  having  replenished  my 
wardrobe  and  gained  sufficient  courage  to  drop 
my  incognito,  I  presented  myself  with  a  loudly 
beating  heart,  at  the  home  of  my  employer.  He 
did  not  seem  especially  glad  to  see  me.  I  confess; 
but  worst  of  all  his  daughter  had  forgotten  all 
about  me.  She  did  not  even  remember  kissing 
me  good-bye;  or  the  solemn  promise  she  had 
made  to  wait  for  me.  In  view  of  these  disconcert- 
ing facts  it  was  no  shock  to  hear  that  she  was  en- 
gaged to  be  married. 

Frankly,  while  I  was  not  broken-hearted  be- 
cause of  the  fickleness  of  the  young  lady,  my  pride 
was  deeply  wounded  by  her  indifference.  My  em- 
ployer and  his  wife  grew  more  cordial  as  the  even- 
ing advanced,  and  when  I  made  my  adieus  I  was 
invited  to  dine  with  them  on  the  following  Sunday, 
when  my  affairs  would  be  discussed  in  the  hope 
of  finding  a  position  more  suited  to  my  education. 
My  acceptance  of  the  invitation  gave  me  the  op- 
portunity of  meeting  all  the  family  and  feeling  the 


)ii)^ 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


currtntT  <>i  ihuuglu  and  action  which  governed  it. 

The  house,  located  in  one  of  the  best  streets, 
was  typically  American  in  its  furnishings;  while 
tlif  young  pci'ple  whom  1  had  known  as  children  in 
the  Ul<i  Country  had  grown  into  typical  .\merican 
men  and  women,  but  wiili  a  noticeable  element  of 
coarseness  in  their  make-up  which  was  most  un- 
pleasant. 

The  i)arents  felt  strong  loyalty  for  the  little 
town  beyond  the  seas,  and  intjuired  about  every- 
thing and  everybody.  They  had  not  forgotten 
their  poor  relatives  whom  gradually  they  had 
brought  to  .America,  most  of  them  living  near  by. 

They  still  clung  to  Jewish  traditions,  going  to 
the  synagogue  at  least  twice  a  year:  New  Year's 
Day  and  the  Day  of  Atonemeh.,  ^  they  i;c. er 
failed  to  remember  the  anniversaries  of  their  dead. 

Generous  and  kindly,  they  had  won  for  them- 
selves the  esteem  of  the  community,  although  they 
scarcely  rose  above  its  ethical  level.  They  were 
what  others  were,  and  did  what  others  did.  They 
broke  good  laws,  helped  to  make  bad  ones,  and 
never  did  anything  which  their  friends  and  neigh- 
bours disapproved.  It  did  not  take  me  long  to  re- 
alize that  our  ideals  were  diametrically  opposed, 
and  that  we  had  nothing  in  common.  When  I  saw 
my  fair  one  vigorously  chewing  gum,  an'!  heard 
her  usin^  slang — my  lingering  admiration  van- 


AN  IR;SH  PROVIDENCE  805 

ished.  When  I  asked  her  whether  she  loved  Car- 
lyle — and  she  told  mc  that  his  name  was  not 
Carlylc,  but  Leopold — I  was  more  tl'in  rcconcilc(' 
to  her  having  forgotten  and  forsaken  her  first  love. 

Her  parents  afirccd  that  I  ought  not  to  return 
to  the  factory.  They  saw  very  quickly  that  I  had 
no  taste  or  talent  for  business,  and  after  discuss- 
\n^  various  possibilities  suggested  my  studying 
law.  While  I  w  as  giving  my  reasons  for  not  wish- 
ing to  enter  that  profession,  the  young  lady  said, 
half  in  jest,  "  He  talks  like  a  rabbi." 

All  the  family  approved  her  observati(5n,  and  it 
was  suggested  that  I  ought  to  enter  a  Hebrew 
college  to  prepare  myself  for  the  calling  for  which 
they  had  so  suddenly  decided  that  I  was  eminently 
fitted. 

Then  I  told  thetn  my  religious  views,  which  at 
that  time  were  unfixed  and  at  variance  with  or- 
thodox Judaism ;  but  that  seemed  to  them  no  seri- 
ous obstacle.  The  college,  they  said,  was  under 
the  auspices  of  reformed  Jews  who  did  not  de- 
mand doctrinal  conformity. 

There  was  also  held  out  a  hope  of  securing  me  a 
position  as  an  instructor.  This  la**er  possibility 
was  more  in  harmony  with  my  desires  than  be- 
coming a  rabbi. 

A  week  passed  during  which  I  worked  faith- 
fully in  the  factory.    On  the  following  Sunday  I 


S06 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


was  told  that  negotiations  bad  progressed  suffi- 
ciently for  me  to  go  to  the  college  and  begin  my 
studies.  The  distance  was  great  enough  for  me 
to  accept  an  opportunity  to  make  the  journey  on 
a  cattle  train,  which  insula  !  not  only  a  free  trip, 
but  earning  a  not  inconsiderable  sum  besides.  My 
friends  were  interested  in  the  sale  of  the  cattle, 
and  a  certain  number  of  cars  was  intrusted  to  me. 
My  duty  consisted  in  keeping  the  cattle  from 
lying  down,  as  they  were  likely  to  smother  one 
another.     A  long  prod  was  the  only  tool  required. 

So  1  started  for  the  East,  an  educational  career 
and  a  possible  rabbinate,  by  way  of  a  cattle 
train. 

There  were  several  other  men  in  the  caboose, 
whose  dut-es  were  like  my  own  with  this  differ- 
ence :  They  were  professionals,  while  I  was  an 
interloping  amateur,  who  had  kept  one  of  their 
number  out  of  a  job.  I  was  made  to  feel  tny 
place  as  soon  as  I  came  among  them,  and  every 
possible  obstacle  was  put  in  my  way,  to  prevent  me 
from  performing  my  duty  properly. 

At  every  station  the  men  left  the  caboose  to  in- 
spect their  cars  and  prod  the  reclining  cattle  into 
an  upright  position.  At  one  station  the  cars,  hav- 
ing been  switched  around,  were  out  of  the  order  in 
which  I  had  first  seen  them.  T'-'s  confused  me 
and  I  prodded  the  other  men  tie,  while  my 


AN  IRISH  PROVIDENCE 


^01 


own  were  piling  on  top  of  each  other.  Wlien  the 
danger  of  their  sutlocaiing  was  at  its  height,  I 
was  told  that  they  were  my  own  particular  kine. 
Then  my  tormentors  stood  by  laugliing  at  my 
frantic  efforts  to  save  the  animals.  I  asked  for 
help,  which  was  forthcoming  only  by  my  paying 
well  for  it.  so  a  good  part  of  my  earnings  went  to 
the  rescuers  of  my  cattle. 

There  was  one  Irish  lad  in  the  group  who  be- 
longed to  that  species  called  "  low  down  "  Irish. 
His  wit  was  vitriolic  and  his  delight  in  my  suffer- 
ings inade  him  invent  new  cruelties  every  hour. 
He  compelled  me  to  treat  him  and  his  comrades 
to  drink,  and  when  he  discovered  that  I  had  a 
twenty-dollar  gold  piece  in  my  pocket  easily  pos- 
sessed himself  of  it.  Foolishly  I  threatened  to 
have  him  arrested  when  we  arrived  at  our  destina- 
tion, and  that  made  him  anxious  to  prevent  my 
reaching  it. 

One  evening  as  I  was  running  on  top  of  the 
train,  going  in  haste  to  my  cars,  I  ran  against  this 
Irishman,  or  rather  against  his  outstretched  foot, 
which  tripped  me,  and  I  fell  off  the  car.  As  I 
struck  the  ground  something  seemed  to  snap  in  my 
leg.  I  could  not  rise,  and  although  I  cried  loudly 
for  help,  the  noise  of  the  engine  and  the  grinding 
of  the  wheels  drowned  my  voice.  The  train  moved 
on,  leaving  me  nearly  a  hundred  miles  from  the 


5i08 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


ojllege,  and  a  great  many  thousand  miles  from 
becoming  a  rabbi. 

That  experience,  painful  and  distressing  as  it 
was,  had  among  other  things  this  result :  whenever 
I  think  of  the  Irish,  involuntarily  that  particularly 
bad  Irishman  rises  before  me,  and  I  have  to  com- 
pel myself  to  believe  that  they  are  not  all  like  him. 

And  yet,  in  the  light  of  subsequent  events,  al- 
though this  Irishman  robbed  me  and  gave  me  a 
twisted  leg,  when  I  met  him  again  I  felt  like 
thanking  him  for  his  cruelty  to  me.  Knowing  the 
indirect  results  of  his  persecutions,  one  might  al- 
most believe  that  he  was  the  instrument  of  the 
Divine  Providence — and  who  can  say  that  he  was 
not? 


XXI 


A  TURNING  POINT 

THE  limping  gait  with  which  I  approached 
the  little  tuwn.  that  may  as  well  be  called 
Bethlehem,  was  not  at  all  indicative  of  the 
pace  with  which  important  events  were  to  precipi- 
tate themselves;  c\ents  which  were  to  change  and 
permanently  shape  the  current  of  my  life. 

The  town  was  like  countless  others  dotting  the 
Middle  West.  It  had  us  courthouse  square  tianked 
by  the  usual  variety  of  stores,  its  few  hundred 
houses  and  about  two  thousand  people  who  lived 
together,  still  fairly  unconscious  of  class  dis- 
tinctions. Even  the  age-old  barrier  between  Jew 
and  Gentile  was  intangible  enough  to  permit  un- 
rcstraineil  social  contact. 

A  philanthropic  Jewish  woman,  one  of  the 
town's  social  leaders,  to  whose  notice  my  case  was 
brought,  took  me  into  her  home,  and  not  only 
nursed  me  back  to  health,  but  proved  a  most  loyal 
and  generous  friend.  She  procured  me  a  clerical 
position,  the  only  kind  which  I  was  then  capable 
of  filling. 

Here,  then,  after  long  wandering,  I   found  a 


^10  I  KOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

liuiuc  and  friends.  1  came  in  toucli  witli  cultured 
pcfjplc,  and  hail  .sufficient  leisure  tu  gather  up  and 
restore  the  broken  and  tangled  threads  of  my  in- 
tellectual and  spiritual  life. 

I  doubt  thit  I  was  a  good  clerk.  I  came  into 
tlie  world  with  little  or  no  business  sense,  and 
barter  wa>  always  more  distasteful  to  me  than  the 
hardest,  commonest  labour;  yet  I  think  I  proved 
of  some  value  to  my  employer,  if  only  as  an  ad- 
\ertisement. 

I  establi.shcd  a  small  library  in  the  back  of  the 
store,  which  attracted  considerable  attention,  and 
my  first  savings  went  into  a  microscope  which  had 
the  place  of  honour  in  tlic  room  I  had  rented 
above  the  store,  and  was  the  centre  around 
which  I  gathered  a  Natural  Science  Club.  There 
were  always  people  coming  and  going  with  whom 
I  formed  valuable  friendships.  They  came 
because  they  thought  I  had  something  to  give 
them,  but  they  brought  a  great  deal  into  my 
life. 

Perhaps  the  group  of  people  which  influenced 
me  most  strongly  at  first  was  a  number  of  public 
school  teachers,  who  organized  a  modern  language 
and  literature  class,  which  I  taught. 

This  class  met  in  the  homes  of  its  members, 
most  of  whom  were  the  wives  of  prominent  busi- 
ness and  professional  men;  Jews  and  Gentiles.    In 


A  TURNING  POINT 


211 


that  way  I  came  in  vital  touch  with  the  American 
home  which,  perhaps,  is  at  its  very  best  in  these 
scattered  towns  of  the  Middle  West.  A  set  of 
Shakespeare,  presented  to  me  by  my  pupils,  is  still 
the  most  highly  prized  of  all  the  volumes  in  my 
library. 

Later,  a  few  of  the  elect  read  philosophy  to- 
gether. We  began  in  a  modest  way  with  Watts, 
'■  On  the  Mind,"  followed  by  Spencer's  "  Educa- 
tion." These,  no  doubt,  were  in  the  teachers' 
course  of  reading.  There  were  three  of  these 
teachers,  all  of  them  bachelor  maids,  who  were 
the  backbone  of  the  intellectual  life  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Among  them  l)egan  the  development  of  my 
really  religious  life,  which  had  passed  through  so 
many  phases,  and  which  at  that  time  was  probably 
at  its  lowest  ebb.  In  this  group  of  women  I  saw 
the  fruits  of  religion:  .An  h(;nest  culture,  strong 
character  and  a  spirit  of  service  which  proved 
more  convincing  than  the  many  and  ingenious 
arguments  with  which  they  met  my  assaults  upon 
their  faith. 

Deep  down  in  my  life,  almost  buried,  was  a 
spiritual  hunger,  of  which  I  was  then  becoming 
conscious,  and  whicli  my  Jewish  friends  did  not 
and  could  not  satisfy.  The  kindliest  people  I  have 
ever  known thev  "ave  me  all  they  had  to  £ive ; 


212 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


but  spiritually  they  could  not  contribute  to  my  life, 
nor  I  to  their  life. 

The  social  activities  of  the  Jewish  people  (with 
the  exception  of  the  family  wh'u'i  first  befriended 
me)  were  completely  dominated  by  card  playing. 
and  of  religion  nothing  remained;  r'^*  even  the 
conventional  observances  of  iheir  faith. 

The  older  peoi)le  were  distinctly  superior  to 
their  children:  but  as  their  viewpoint  and  mine 
were  far  apart,  I  was  entirely  separated  from  them 
in  my  inner  life,  so  it  was  the  Gentiles  of 
the  community  with  whom  I  came  most  vitally 
in  touch. 

The  relati(jn  between  the  Gentiles  and  Jews  in 
Bethlehem  was  so  exceedingly  cordial  that  it  was 
not  unusual  for  the  Jews  to  attend  the  Christian 
churches,  and  my  frequent  presence  there  created 
no  comment. 

I  was  especially  attracted  to  a  church  whose  self- 
sacrificing  pastor  and  his  wife  were,  and  still  are 
to  me,  most  convincing  examples  of  the  Christian 
life. 

He  and  I  argued  frequently  about  religion.  I 
was  then  writitig  for  a  German  freethinking  paper, 
and  used  my  discussions  with  him  as  the  basis  of 
my  articles.  This  marked  the  beginning  of  such 
literary  career  as  I  have  had. 


t. 


A  TURNING  POINT  21S 

most  effective  arguments  were  the  serenity  and 
simplicity  of  his  Hic  and  the  sterling  qualities  of 
his  character.  The  Christian  itmosnherc  of  hii 
home  completely  captivated  me. 

I  joined  a  Sunday  school  class  and  still  recall 
some  of  the  warm  discussions  which  arose  because 
of  my  presence,  and  which  lifted  the  class  out  of 
its  usual  monotony. 

Quite  casually  1  was  led  into  certain  activities 
which  were  to  become  characteristic  of  my  later 
life. 

My  friend  the  minister,  a  group  of  Gentile  boys 
and  myself  were  back  of  a  movement  which  cul- 
minated in  the  organization  of  a  public  reading 
room,  at  the  opening  of  which  I  made  my  first 
address  in  English.  At  that  time  also  !  began  my 
work  for  the  immigrants. 

The  town  was  situated  at  the  junction  of  two 
railroads,  and  it  was  the  custom  then,  as  it  is 
now.  to  send  immigrants  il.e  l(jngest  and  poorest 
way  from  the  East.  They  had  to  change  cars  at 
Bethlehem,  and  came  into  the  town  in  a  pitiable 
plight.  My  first  case  was  a  Swiss  family,  with  so 
many  children  that  they  were  tied  together  to  keep 
them  from  being  lost.  I  took  them  to  the  hotel, 
but  they  were  too  poor  and  too  numerous  to  be 
desirable  guests,  so  I  arranged  w^ith  my  minister 
and  his  wife  to  lodge  a.id  feed  them  until  they 


2U  FIIOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

found  work  and  a  shelter,  a  service  which  was 
gladly  renflcred. 

By  this  tunc  my  linguistic  ability  was  known  to 
the  town  officials,  and  one  day  they  brought  me  a 
Kuthenian  who  could  not  make  himsell  under- 
stood. When  I  addressed  him  in  his  own  language, 
he  fell  upon  my  neck  from  joy.  He  had  been  ex- 
ploited by  a  fanner  who  had  kept  him  at  work 
during  eight  months,  and  when  the  man  demanded 
wages  sent  him  away  penniless.  Strong  feeling 
was  aroused  against  the  farmer  and  he  was  sued. 
The  jury  allowed  the  Kuthenian  twenty-five  dol- 
lars a  month,  which  made  him  a  rich  man.  He 
had  been  out  of  tcjuch  with  his  wife  and  children 
because  he  could  not  write.  I  wrote  to  them  and 
had  the  pleasure  of  welcoming  them  when  they 
arrived  in  the  city. 

A  lecture  course  brought  me  in  contact  with  a 
number  of  American  men  of  the  idealistic  type 
who  enriched  my  life,  not  only  by  their  public  ad- 
dresses, but  also  by  the  many  hours  they  gave  me 
in  private  conversation  and  conference.  One  of 
the  most  indulgent  of  these  lecturers,  who  per- 
mitted me  to  be  with  him  until  his  train  was  due 
after  midnight,  was  President  Jordan,  then  of  the 
State  University  of  Indiana. 

In  a  tew  days  he  sent  Professor  Von  Jageman 
of  the  German  department  to  interview  me.     It 


A  TURNING  POINT 


215 


Wis  a  coincidence,  no  doubt,  that  he  had  gone 
through  an  apprenticesliip  similar  to  my  own,  in 
this  country,  so  he  proved  exceedingly  sympathetic 
and  helpful.  He  offered  me  a  position  as  assistant 
in  his  department,  but  before  I  could  decide  to 
accept  his  offer  my  life  was  directed  into  quite 
another  channel. 

My  outward  opposition  to  religion  was  growing 
daily  less  violent,  and  the  type  of  Christian  life 
with  which  I  came  in  contact  proved  exceedingly 
attractive.  Its  theology  still  seemed  irrational, 
and  was  absolutely  unsympathetic:  but  the  Christ, 
that  rigid  wood.'n  form  nailed  to  the  cross  which 
I  had  so  long  known,  and  as  a  child  repelled 
me ;  while  as  a  youth  it  never  drew  me — began  to 
look  human.  His  artificial  halo  disappeared.  I 
saw  Him  walking  among  men,  and  began  to  feel 
His  power. 

The  ice  lost  its  stern  sadness,  and  the  features 
resembled  those  of  the  consecrated  minister  or  his 
devoted  wife.  Again  I  saw  the  face  of  Tolstoy, 
whose  touch  upon  my  life  had  never  been  lost.  If 
lives  like  these  were  projected  into  the  world  of 
strife  and  injustice,  out  of  which  I  had  come, 
would  they  not  accomplish  more  than  those  which 
hurl  back  the  hate  with  which  they  have  been 
pelted  ? 

Thus  I  began  to  reason,  and  great  changes  com- 


216 


FROM  AMF.N    TO  (  ITIZFN 


mcncc<i  within  nif.  I  ua^  liuiit,'ry  fur  spiritual 
rclali()n>liii)  with  tliat  Lhri>i  Wii^-c  I<ivc  1  diiiily 
feh.  and  Whose  trajjic  Ulc  and  dcatli  i  at  last 
faintly  understood.  L'nfortunatLly,  iKJwevcr,  '.here 
were  what  I  considered  unsurmountahic  ob.^tacles  in 
the  way  of  openly  attesting  my  allegiance  to  Him. 
All  my  C"hri>tian  friends  believed  in  some  inner 
change,  volcanic  and  revoluti(jnary,  which  must 
follow  confession  of  >in  and  a  desire  for  salvation. 

I  felt  no  sense  of  guih.  neither  had  I  any  desire 
for  salvation  from  an  eternal  liell.  I  felt  the 
guilt  of  all  the  world  and  my  scn^e  of  sin  as  a  part 
of  it.  I  desired  salvation,  not  for  myself  alone,  but 
for  the  world  I  knew  to  be  in  need  of  it.  Xor  had 
I  any  ecstatic  experience  which  would  match  that 
of  my  friends  who  had  '"  come  to  Christ  "  as  they 
expressed  it. 

And  yet,  after  my  first  conscious  prayer,  some- 
thing came  into  my  life  and  claimed  it — the  whole 
of  it.  I  felt  a  communion  with  something  hu- 
manly great ;  but  greater  than  any  human  I  had 
ever  known.  It  came  like  the  quiet  which  steals 
into  the  midst  of  a  storm  at  sea,  when  the  ship 
lifts  and  groans,  then  rights  herself,  finds  her 
course  and  moves  again  into  the  face  of  the  abat- 
ing tempest. 

The  experience  of  those  mystical  moments  be- 
came the  suDrciri.e  one  in  mv  relip^ions  life;  as  if  I 


A  TFRNING  POINT 


217 


had  waited  and  stru;:j:jlcfl  and  stiffcrcd,  just  fur 
that.  Had  I  li\e<l  in  a  less  rati<inalistic  age.  or 
were  myself  ni>»re  a  mystic  than  I  am.  it  might 
have  hfted  nie  to  the  very  heavens.  .\s  it  was. 
I  was  left  stumbling  upon  the  earth,  with  obstacles 
left  in  my  path. 

I  was  still  a  Jew  and  all  the  members  of  my 
family  were  loyal  to  their  faith.  Then,  too,  I  had 
a  horror  of  the  s<)-called  converted  Jew.  who 
often  changes  his  faith  from  convenience  and 
not  from  conviction.  I  had  ne^er  happened  to 
meet  a  sincere  one.  and  often  told  my  minister, 
that  if  I  ever  met  or  even  heard  of  a  Jew  genuinely 
converted,  it  would  greatly  help  me  to  make  my 
decision. 

Here  let  me  say  a  word  regarding  my  Gentile 
friends.  At  no  time  did  they  press  their  faith 
upon  me,  and  discussions  on  the  subject  of  re- 
ligion were  always  begun  upon  my  own  initiative. 

My  final  determination  to  take  the  momentous 
step  was  brought  about  by  an  event  which  trans- 
pired in  the  Jewish  home  which  had  first  sheltered 
me.  and  where  I  was  a  guest  at  dinner  every  Sun- 
day. 

On  this  j.articular  Sunday  I  found  there  a  rela- 
tive of  the  hostess,  a  teacher  in  a  woman's  college 
in  a  neighbouring  state.     She  was  spending  the 

locf     T«m*    An^rc    r^f    Via«>    ^t*\r*.t*t^~f     !•«     13  a  *  V«  1  a  l-i  .<*.>.» 


218 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


Never  before  had  I  met  a  young  woman  with 
whom  I  could  discuss  s(j  freely  art,  literature,  evc< 
my  own  rehgious  struggle,  and  gr'^at  was  my  aston 
ishment  when  I  discovered  that  she  was  a  Chris 
tian,  the  child  of  parents  of  Jewish  birth,  who 
very  early  in  their  married  life  had  become  Chris- 
tian and  liad  devoted  their  lives  to  the  kind  of 
service  which  seemed  to  me  the  most  attractive 
phase  oi  that  religion. 

Two  problems  found  their  solution  in  this  meet- 
ing. First.  I  had  now  heard  of  Jews  whose  con- 
version was  genuine.  From  a  worldly  point  of 
view  these  people  had  lost  much,  because  of  their 
change  of  faith.  Secondly,  their  own  relatives 
did  not  doubt  the  sincerity  of  their  belief  and  that 
branch  of  the  family  represented  by  my  hostess, 
maintained  amicable  relations  with  those  who  iiad 
accepted  Christ. 

That  night  was  one  of  struggle — much  of  it, 
the  hardest  with  my  baser  self. 

I  tried  to  find  a  way  through  the  confusion  of 
ideas  and  the  mixture  of  motives.  I  wanted  to 
verify  my  mystical  experience;  but  I  was  left  to 
myself,  with  my  feet  on  the  ground  and  my  eyes 
directed  toward  my  own  purposeless  existence.  I 
travelled  over  it  all  again  and  again;  a  trail  of 
labour  and  sorrow. 

At  one  end  of  it  the  mother  who  bore  me  in 


A  TURNING  POINT 


tl9 


bodily  and  mental  agony ;  at  the  other  end  this 
homeless  and  useless  self  about  to  swerve  again. 

Should  I  cut  myself  loose  from  a  race  and  its 
traditions,  and  in  doing  so  wound  all  those  who 
were  Hesh  of  my  flesh? 

Dared  I  wound  her  moit,  who  loved  me  most, 
and  who  at  that  moment  did  not  know  of  the  con- 
ditions under  which  I  lived  and  thoi.jiiht  me  qr.ite 
different  and  a  much  l-etter  man  than  I  was? 

It  was  a  night  of  mental  and  physical  torture, 
and  with  the  morninj;  there  came  no  peace,  but  a 
decision.  Before  many  weeks  I  resumed  my 
journey,  for  the  first  time  with  a  great  purpose 
and  a  goal. 


XXII 
THE  SCHOOL  Ol-  THE  RABBIS 

A  FEW  years  ago  I  was  in  the  midwe.-tern 
city  from  wl'.ich  I  had  started  for  the  Rab- 
binical College  that  I  never  reached.  I 
visited  the  old  haunts:  The  Irish  boarding  house, 
and  the  factory,  where  I  helped  change  corn  into 
genuine  inapli.  syrnj).  Perhaps  the  nmst  interest- 
ing cpis'Hk'  of  that  day  was  a  visit  tu  the  lady  of 
uiv  b. lyhood'r.  dream,  nnv  happily  married  and 
the  niuthcr  oi  many  children. 

In  passing  through  the  railroad  yards  near 
which  the  factory  is  located,  I  saw  an  Irishman, 
whose  flaming  red  hair  was  more  conspicuous  than 
the  red  disk  of  the  switch  he  turned.  He  looked 
familiar  enough  for  me  to  address  him  by  a  name 
which  was  not  Patrick,  and  to  which  he  responded, 
lie  did  not  recogni/e  his  former  fellow-traveller, 
nor  did  he  care  to  recall  his  brutal  treatment  of 
me  until  I  told  him  that  he  was  a  wonderful 
switchman  to  whom  I  owed  much.  By  tripping 
me  and  giving  me  a  twisted  leg.  he  had  switched 
my  whole  destiny,  not  only  to  another  track,  but 
onto  a  difTerent  road. 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  RABBIS      221 

I  had  started  for  a  Rabbinical  College  with  a 
wrecked  I'aith  and  but  little  hope  or  courage;  I 
went  instead  to  a  Presbyterian  Theological  Sem- 
inary, with  a  buoyant  faith,  a  fresh  enthusiasm,  and 
a  consuming  passion  to  tell  other  men  the  way 
to  the  new  hope  and  the  new  life. 

I  doubt  that  men  who  have  seen  the  heavenly 
light  at  noonday  are  fit  candidates  for  theological 
seminaries.  A  fenent  convert  and  Hodge's  Theol- 
ogy :  a  bubbling  spirit  and  science  and  exegesis ; 
a  passion  for  men.  and  Biblical  criticism,  ought 
not  to  meet  too  soon.  They  were  ?bout  as  stiinu- 
lating  to  me,  as  the  contemplation  of  the  house- 
hold budget  would  be  to  a  newly  wedded  pair. 

Added  to  the  formal  and  critical  atmosphere  of 
the  seminary,  I  found  its  faculty  hopelessly  dis- 
rupted by  the  higher  criticism,  and  one  of  its 
members  on  trial  for  heresy.  There  was  open 
and  expressed  hostility;  the  spirit  of  the  class- 
room was  inimical  rather  than  inspirational;  while 
the  brotherly  love  and  forbearance  which  I  hoped 
to  find  in  abundance  were  so  lacking,  that  I  had 
to  seek  an  outlet  for  my  own  emotional  life,  which 
was  in  danger  of  being  stifled. 

The  church,  which  was  close  enough  to  the 
seminary  ti:>  be  regarded  as  the  catherlral  of  the 
denomination,  was,  if  possible,  more  divided  and 
less  sympathetic;  while  the  chief  mission  of  the 


222  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

pulpit  seemed  to  be  to  condemn  the  higher  criti- 
cism and  its  advocates. 

I  attended  that  church  but  once,  for  it  reminded 
me   too  much  of  the   orthodox  synagogue.     Its 
spirit   was  rabbinical   rather  than   religious,  and 
of  that  Christianity,  that  Divine  passion  which  I 
believed  it  ouglu  to  impart,  I  felt  little  or  nothing. 
I  suppose  I  was  as  much  to  blame  as  the  church, 
for  I  was  walking  on  clouds,  while  the  church  was 
propelling  itself  over  hard,  tangible  cobblestones, 
which  later  I  had  U>  cross  myself  with  jolt  and  jar. 
At  that  time,  however.  I  was  not  ready  for  them. 
To  use  a  Biblical  but  somewhat  mixed  metaphor,  I 
was  a  "  babe  in  Christ."  and  the  church  was  quar- 
relling over  the  milk  supply. 

However,  I  found  a  real  church,  or  rather,  the 
church  found  me  It  was  one  of  those  citadels  of 
faith  about  to  be  surrendered  to  business.  In  the 
basement  a  commission  merchant  had  already  es- 
tablished himself,  and  it  was  merely  a  matter  of  a 
short  time  until  the  church  auditorium  would  be 
given  over  to  cabbages,  watermelons  and  other 
perishable  things  for  the  body,  while  the  imperish- 
able things  of  the  Spirit  would  have  to  be  housed 
in  the  more  congenial  if  less  needy  suburbs. 

The  pastor  was  a  saint— an  Old  Testament  saint 
with  a  New  Testament  halo;  a  covenanter  with  the 
heart  of  a  St.  John,  the  beloved  disciple.     He 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  RABBIS      223 

preached  an  uncompromising  Calvinism  in  the 
spirit  of  the  Beatitudes.  The  old  church  looked 
like  a  mausoleum,  and  when  he  rose  to  preach,  liis 
spare,  ascetic  figure,  with  a  dingy  wall  for  its 
background,  was  scarcely  visible  to  his  depleted 
and  loyal  flock.  Good,  plain,  middle-class  folk 
of  Scotch-Irish  blood  and  training — real  Israelites, 
"  in  whom  there  was  no  guile,"  made  up  the  con- 
gregation. They  sang  David's  Psalms  in  long  and 
short  and  mixed  metre — dolefully  and  without 
musical  accompaniment;  after  which  they  listened 
patiently  for  an  hour,  while  their  pastor  expounded 
the  Scripture. 

I  was  invited  to  assist  him  and  help  rejuvenate 
the  aging  and  dying  church.  The  breadth  of  this 
man's  spirit  is  shown  by  the  fact  tliat  he  intrusted 
to  me  his  prayer  meeting  and  gave  me  permission 
to  keep  the  church  open  every  evening  for  Gospel 
meetings.  He  did  this  without  examining  me  in 
theolog>'  or  homiletics,  trusting  only  to  the  spirit 
which  he  believed  animated  me.  I  had  a  naive 
courage,  much  enthusiasm  and  a  real  love  for  peo- 
ple. I  knew  absolutely  nothing  about  how  to  make 
religious  addresses  or  how  to  conduct  meetings.  I 
opened  the  empty  church  and  for  a  week  I  was 
the  only  one  in  it.  This,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
I  had  handbills  printed  which  I  personally  dis- 
tributed. 


fm\ 


224  raOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

The  second  week  I  determined  to  -  compel  them 
to  come  in."    The  region  in  which  the  church  was 
located  had  gone  through  that  pathetic  transition 
from  stately  liome  to  boarding  house,  and  at  that 
time  was  in  its  last  stages,  beginning  to  be  illu- 
mined bv  red  lights  and  darkened  by  grossest  vice. 
1  marked  out  a  district  of  about  thirty  blocks, 
and  carrying  a  load  of  Bibles  and  tracts,  started 
to  work  my  parish,  selling  Bibles  or  giving  them 
away,  while  inviting  people  to  my  meetings.     Al- 
though I  still  attended  my  classes  in  the  theological 
seminary,  I  did  it  less  than  half-heartedly;  but  I 
started  out  on  my  new  errand,  with  an  apostle's 
faith  and  courage. 

Unhesitatingly    I    can    say   that,    for   me,   the 
tramping  through  wretched  tenements,  the  contact 
with  poverty,  ignorance  and  vice,  the  discovery  of 
oases  of  faith,  virtue  and  cleanliness  in  the  most 
untoward  environment,  were  of  more  value  than 
my  attendance  in  the  classroom.    I  explored  a  hell, 
more  real  than  any  theology-  can  paint  it.     I  saw 
f\ve-story    tenements,    the    basements    dingy    and 
damp,  never  safe  from  a  coming  flood  and  never 
free  from  the  moisture  of  the  last  one.     I  visited 
garrets,  hot  and  stuffy,  rooms  crowded  like  stables 
and  not  as  wholesome,  where  brutal  husbands  were 
abusing  their  wives  and  often  both  of  them  beat 
each  other  in  drunken  fury. 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  RABBIS      225 

There  was  a  stretch  of  about  eight  blcKks  closest 
to  my  church,  the  hovels  of  which  I  would  not 
now  have  courage  to  enter,  nor  would  I  send  a 
young  man  there,  no  matter  how  fixed  his  char- 
acter or  how  holy  his  errand.  To  preach  to  the 
dead  in  Shcol  would  be  safer  and  easier,  yet  I  am 
quite  sure  that  there  I  did  true  disciple's  service, 
in  comparison  with  which  all  other  work  I  have 
done  fades  into  insignificance. 

How  was  I  received? 

In  most  places  gladly,  in  some  derisively  and  in  a 
few  ejected  forcibly. 

"What,  Bibles  in  a  brothel?"  This  with  a 
mocking  laugh  ;  but  the  painted  face  could  not  hide 
a  touch  of  sadness,  as  if  the  sight  of  a  Bible  had 
brought  back  memories  of  a  yet  untainted  life. 
She  was  in  the  mood  for  talking,  and  that  night 
she  was  at  my  meeting. 

A  few  years  after,  walking  across  the  streets  of 
that  city,  suddenly  I  felt  a  hand  upon  my  arm. 
Turning  I  saw  a  woman  carrying  a  market  basket. 
Her  face  was  not  l)eauiiful.  but  maternal,  sweet 
and  honest.  I  did  not  recognize  her.  She  proved 
to  be  the  woman  of  the  brothel,  the  Magdalene,  re- 
stored to  herself  and  to  her  people.  I  have  re- 
ceived many  great  rewards  in  one  form  or  another 
but  none  so  great  as  the  gratitude  of  this  woman. 

During  that  period  I  not  only  explored  the  real 


ii 


226  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

hell,  I  found  also  the  real  heaven.    I  recall  a  tene- 
ment house  worse  than  anything  I  hope  ever  to  see 
again.    Fortunately  its  type  is  no  longer  tolerated. 
Whole  floors  were  merely  stalls  in  which  poverty 
and  vice  had  chained  men  and  women  to  their 
troughs.     It  was  a  bedlam  of  curses  and  vicious 
odours— hell  outdone,  yet  in  that  house  I  came 
upon  a  door  opening  into  a  room  white  and  clean. 
A  few  pictures  hung  upon  the  walls  and  on  a 
dresser  lay  some  books.    A  small  organ  stood  in 
a  corner  and  from  a  sweet,  saintly-looking  woman 
came  a  cordial  greeting.    The  room  seemed  to  me 
like  an  altar  erected  in  the  midst  of  hell ;  like  a  bit 
of  heaven  dropped  into  that  sulphurous  abyss  to 
sweeten  it.     This  woman  also  came  to  my  meet- 
ings, and  her  room  became  a  place  of  intercession 
for  the  sins  of  many. 

A  Jewish  girl  with  the  fighting  spirit  of  a 
Deborah  drifted  in  and  stayed.  She  now  lives  the 
Gospel  among  the  coloured  people  in  the  South. 

A  drunken  tramp  printer  snatched  my  BiWe 
hungrily  and  begged  me  to  pull  him  out  ot  the 
thraldom  of  his  sin.  I  never  catalogued  nor 
counted  the  men  and  women  who  came  to  those 
meetings,  but  they  rise  before  me  now  unbidden, 
and  I  wisb.  their  number  were  larger  and  my  share 
in  their  redemption  greater. 

The  meetings  were  unique  enough  to  attract 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  RABBIS      827 

some  of  my  fellow-students  from  the  seminary, 
and  we  called  it  among  ourselves,  "  The  Church 
of  the  Precious  Fragments."  I  am  sure  that  those 
of  us  who  did  the  work  received  more  than  we 
gave.  My  talks,  as  I  remember  them,  were  too 
emotional,  and  they  probably  neither  helped  nor 
hindered ;  but  the  blessed  fellowship,  the  sympathy, 
the  desire  to  help  and  the  presence  of  the  Spirit 
did  the  work. 

Not  only  were  the  people  we  gathered  in  bene- 
fited; the  dear  old  minister  sounded  a  fresh  note 
in  his  sermons,  the  young  people  of  the  congrega- 
tion had  a  broader  vision  and  the  tomb-like  church 
was  brightened  by  a  new  light. 

Strange  to  say,  the  very  thing  which  should  have 
made  the  church  live,  killed  it,  or  at  least  hastened 
its  end.  The  few  people  who  "  paid  the  piper  " 
would  not  come  into  a  church  polluted  nightly  by 
the  presence  of  our  "  precious  fragments."  They 
said  they  feared  for  their  children. 

One  evening,  after  meeting,  the  minister  asked 
me  to  accompany  him  to  his  home,  where,  after  a 
long  and  agonizing  season  of  prayer,  he  told  me 
that  the  meetings  must  stop  and  why.  I  could  not 
sleep  that  night;  the  old  doubts  arose,  stronger 
than  ever.  I  began  to  question  everything,  even 
my  own  motives,  and  I  returned  in  the  morning 
to  the  seminary  fully  detennincd  to  sever  my  con- 


ija8  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

nection  with  it  and  to  abandon  my  preparation 
for  the  ministry.  Wiien  I  reached  the  classroom 
I  w-as  told  that  a  stranger  had  inquired  for  me 
and  that  he  would  return  at  noon. 

He  was  an  English  Jew  of  a  high  degree  of  cul- 
ture and  a  great  deal  of  wealth,  both  consecrated 
,  mplctdy  and  uncompromisingly  to  the  cause  of 
Christ.  1  am  sure  tliat  the  Christ  spirit  enveloped 
him  more  than  any  man  I  have  ever  met.  He 
was  a  disciple  who  knew  no  "  ifs  "  or  "  buts  "  to 
the  Divine  ccnnmand.  who  accepted  literally  and 
imqualifiedly  the  teachings  of  Jesus,  hazarding  his 
all  upon  his  childlike  faith.  His  motives  were  as 
single  as  his  mind  was  simple,  and  his  life  as  pure 
as  I  have  often  wished  my  own  to  be. 

The  one  subject  upon  which  we  did  not  agree 
was  his  absolute  faith  in  the  Jewish  national  ideal. 
He  believed  in  the  second  coming  of  the  Messiah, 
the  establishment  of  the  millennial  reign  and  that 
the  Jews  were  to  be  the  vehicle  of  this  desired  con- 
summation.   His  faith  became  a  sort  of  fanaticism, 
and  he  lavished  a  fortune  in  trying  to  further  the 
Divine  plan  by  writing  pamphlets,  verses  and  books 
whicli  he  printed  at  his  expense.     He  had  a  won- 
derful banner  painted,  with  the  Lion  of  Judah  and 
the  cross  of  Christ,  symbolizing  the  New  Kingdom. 
1  could  not  share  this  faith.     To  me  humanity 
was  more  than  Judaism,  and  Christianity  not  de- 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  RABBIS      2«9 

pendent  upon  the  conversion  of  any  race.  I  felt 
mystlf  a  new  creature,  related  to  every  other 
creature,  and  his  Judaic  Christianity  was  to  nie  as 
repellent  as  the  Christian  Judaism  of  the  seminary; 
so  we  frankly  disagreed  My  contact  with  this 
man  taught  mc  not  to  lalx-1  men,  for  although  he 
seemed  to  mc  narrow  and  fanatical,  he  was  broad 
enough  and  genuine  enough  tu  drop  the  discussion 
of  his  peculiar  ideas  and  try  to  c(;mf<)rt  me  in  my 
distress  of  mind. 

When  he  discovered  how  uncongenial  the  at- 
mosphere of  the  seminary  was  to  me.  he  sug- 
gested another  one  of  which  he  had  heard  and 
offered  me  all  the  financial  aid  I  needed.  Un- 
hesitatingly I  should  put  him  among  the  few  Chris- 
tians I  know  who  unflinchingly  accepted  all  the 
consequences  of  his  faith.  He  was  torn  either  too 
late  or  too  soon;  he  belongs  with  Paul  or  in 
some  crises  not  yet  reached.  He  has  travelled 
through  the  whole  world,  preaching  the  second 
coming  of  Chr'st.  urging  Jews  to  make  ready  and 
Gentiles  to  pray  for  their  conversion.  He  never 
asked  a  penny  nor  received  one;  he  spent  several 
fortunes  in  the  can^e  so  dear  to  his  heart  and  is 
now  somewhere  spending  himself.  I  never  could 
believe  in  all  he  did.  but  I  envied  him  his  spirit. 

One  day  I  left  the  classroom  determined  not  to 
return,  for  I  knew  I  could  never  preach  the  doc- 


2S0  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

trine  I  was  being  taught,  and  the  little  of  the  new 
spirit  left  in  inc  was  chilling  to  death.  My  goal 
was  the  seminary  my  new  friend  had  mentioned, 
and  there  I  went,  again  penniless,  knowing  no  one 
cither  there  or  on  tlie  way.  Looking  back,  I  am 
sure  that  the  great  Leader  was  guiding  me. 


XXIII. 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  PROPHETS 

AN  ordinary  town  means  nothing  unless  one  has 
a  friend  in  it.  This  may  certainly  be  said 
of  the  average  town  in  the  Middle  West, 
where  each  one  is  a  miniature  Chicago,  with  its 
monotonous  business  streets  and  its  more  or  less 
pretentious  residences.  The  towns  beautiful  for 
situation  are  rare  and  those  of  some  historic  inter- 
est, rarer  still. 

The  one  which  I  reached,  in  which  I  had  no 
friend,  was  so  permeated  by  the  Spirit,  that  no 
matter  in  how  many  ways  it  may  have  resembled 
other  myriads  of  towns  of  three  thousand  inhab- 
itants or  thereabouts,  its  atmosphere  was  distinc- 
tive, and  one's  mind  must  have  been  gross  indeed, 
not  to  become  conscious  of  it  immediately.  There 
was  a  Sabbath-like  solemnity  in  the  air;  although 
the  streets  leading  to  the  various  college  buildings 
were  crowded  by  young  people  hurrying  to  and 
from  their  classes. 

The  place  impressed  me  strangely.  I  felt  like 
a   fugitive  who,  having  finally   reached  the  city 

3S1 


232  FUOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

of  reftij^c,  was  ready  lo  claim  sanctuary.  I  had  not 
tlic  slightest  ukM  to  whom  to  turn,  or  what  I 
shoulil  say  when  I  found  the  man  wl>o  could  open 
or  shut  the  door;  achnit  me  or  drive  mc  back  into 
my  planless  hfe. 

I-'or  liours  I  walked  up  and  down  those  streets, 
lookinjj  wistfully  into  the  dofjfs  and  windows  of 
the   C(.lleK«-   huildin^s.     At    five   </clock   the  bells 
tolled  for  chapel  and  1  followed  the  preat  stream 
of  students  into  a  harnlike  structure,  which  was 
soon  tilled.     I  stood  at  the  door  during  the  short 
and  impressive  'service.  The  hymn,  sung  by  a  thou- 
sand or  more  voices,  lifted  me  above  myself,  and 
I  forgot  that  I  was  hungry  and  liomcless.    One  of 
tlic  professors  rea-l  a  chapter  which  has  remained 
mv  favourite  Scripture  les>'n  to  this  day.     I  have 
read  it  and  reread  it.  until  it  lias  become  the  most 
■worn  page  of  my  I'.ible.     It  is  the  second  chapter 
of  the  Kpistlc  to  the  Kpliesir.ns.     He  did  not  read 
it  with  much  eniphasis.  an  '  the  crowd  of  students 
did  not  listen  very  eagerly     Why  should  they?    It 
meant  but  little  to  him  or  lo  them. 

"  So  then  ye  arc  no  more  strangers  and  so- 
journers, but  ye  arc  fellow-citizens  with  the 
saints." 

Frequently  I  wish  for  my  students  that  boon  of 
hearing  f<ir  the  first  time  some  great  passage  of  the 
New  Testament;   for  while  they  never  hear  that 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  PROPHETS     899 

Book  too  frequently,  tlicir  cars  are  dulled  to  its 
bcaiitv  and  j)')\vcr.  liecause  of  a  superficial  fa- 
miliarity with  it.  To  mc  it  was  new,  and  the  weirds 
came  with  a  peculiar  force,  satisfying  a  peculiar 
need.  I  'fas  a  •>tran^,'er  and  a  sojourner  and  had 
been  for  what  seemed  many  years.  I  was  eager 
for  fellowship,  and  al)ove  my  physical  hunger  there 
rose  the  hunger  for  friends. 

During  the   supper   hour   I    again   walked   the 
streets,  now  silent  and  deserted.     I  had  not  sufTi- 
cient  courage  to  even  ask  a  question  of  the  many 
mcrrv  groups,  when  the  street  once  more  was  en- 
livened by  them.     I  was  finally  driven  by  the  dark 
and  chill  to  accost  a  man.     As  he  approached  me 
from  under  the  dim  light  of  a  street  lamp,  1  asked 
him  where  I  should  go  to  inquire  about  admission 
to  the   Theological   Seminary.      Replying   to  my 
question  he  told  me  he  was  dean  of  that  institu- 
tion.    He  asked  me  to  come  to  his  home,  which 
necessitated  retracing  his  steps,  and  after  a  brief 
conversation    I  was    assured    of    a    hearty    and 
brotherly  welcome. 

It  is  difficult  to  know  how  to  regard  such  strange 
coincidences  as  those  which  developed  during  my 
interview  with  the  dean.  I  hesitate  to  call  them 
special  providences.  T  have  no  right  to  claim  a 
readjustment  of  the  machinery  of  the  universe  to 
my  needs ;  yet  it  must  have  been  a  little  more  than 


t54  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

mere  chance  that  this  man  was  just  the  man  to 
meet,  not  only  because  he  was  the  one  in  authority, 
but  because  he  was  remarkably  fitted  to  understand 
me.  He  was  a  New  Englandcr  witli  a  German 
mind,  having  taken  his  Ph.D.  at  Lcipsig.  He  knew 
most  of  my  teachers  and  I  knew  his.  We  had 
much  in  common  mentally,  but  that  which  espe- 
cially endeared  him  to  me  was  the  fact  that  he 
treated  mc  as  a  human  being  and  not  as  one  of  a 
peculiar  species. 

I  asked  one  great  favour  of  him;  that  I  was  not 
to  be  brought  to  the  special  attention  of  the  stu- 
dents.    I   dreaded   and   still   dread  the   kind   of 
notoriety  which  too  often  clings  to  a  convert.     I 
merely  asked  for  the  same  chance  and  the  same 
treatment  that  every  other  student  would  get.    He 
made  the  promise  and  of  course  kept  it.     Quite 
naturally  I  have  remained  devotedly  attached  to 
this   man;   although  every   one   of   mv   teachers 
proved  to  be  a  loyal  friend  to  whom  I  am  bound  by 
the  sinccrest  gratitude.    Not  only  were  they  good 
teachers,   they   were   the   type   of   men   whom    I 
needed.     They  strengthened  my  belief  in  the  new 
faith ;  they  were  living  epistles  whom  it  was  good 
for  me  to  read. 

My  p'-ofessor  of  Hebrew  did  much  more  for  me 
than  merely  help  polish  up  my  Hebrew  grammar. 
He  disclosed  to  me  the  genius  of  the  Hebrew 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  PROPHETS    2S5 

prophets,  he  stirred  within  me  whatever  spiritual 
gifts  I  inherit  from  my  race  and  to  him  I  owe  a 
fairly  well  governed  pride  in  that  inheritance.  One 
of  the  special  tasks  upon  which  he  put  me,  was  to 
compare  the  books  of  Chronicles  with  the  other 
historical  books  covering  that  period.  While  that 
plunged  me  into  the  heart  of  the  problem  of  the 
higher  criticism,  I  came  out  unscathed,  for  his 
view,  although  then  very  conservative,  was  broad 
and  rich  and  unafraid. 

I  owe  a  great  deal  to  my  professor  of  Homi- 
letics,  the  gentlest  of  all  teachers,  who  understood 
great  preachers  of  Christendom  and  brought 
me  in  vital  contact  with  them.    So  far  as  I  know, 
no  one  has  ever  succeeded  in  teaching  other  men 
to  preach,  but  he  succeeded  in  conveying  to  me  in 
what  spirit  to  preach.    While  I  have  long  ago  for- 
gotten the  minutia  of  sermon-making  as  he  taught 
it,  I  have  always  felt  his  spirit  and  have  tried  to 
follow  its  leadings. 

How  deep  the  impression  which  that  whole 
period  made  upon  me  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  I 
still  remember  the  first  sermon  I  heard  him  preach. 
The  text  was.  "And  looking  stodfastly  into 
Heaven  he  saw  God."  The  stoned  tephcn.  stag- 
gering beneath  the  assaults  of  his  enemies,  after  he 
declared  to  them  his  faith  and  their  unfaithfulness. 
I  very  much  fear  that,  in  one  way  or  the  other,  the 


'^ 


236  FROM  AUEN  TO  CITIZEN 

sermons  of  my  early  ministry  were  weak  imitations 
of  this  teachers. 

I  also  studied  systematic  theology,  but  in  a  very 
unsystematic  way,  for  he  who  taught  it  was  more 
than  a  theologian ;  he  was  a  man  who  radiated  his 
teachings.  His  central  thought  was  that  God  is 
beneficent,  and  that  whatever  does  not  harmonize 
with  the  Divine  attribute  of  beneficence  is  not 
Divine.  It  was  a  theology  which  seemed  especially 
designed  for  me.  and,  although  I  rememlier  nothing 
more  than  that  one  great  fact  upon  which  his  sys- 
tematic theology  rested,  it  seems  to  me  even  to 
day  the  one  attribute  of  God  regarding  which  I  am 
absolutely  sure,  and  it  has  remained  the  central 
theme  of  my  preaching. 

A  most  loyal  and  lovable  soul  tried  to  teach  me 
the  art  of  public  speaking.  This  also  is  one  of  the 
things  impossible  to  teach,  and  he  knew  it.  I  do 
not  know  now,  and  I  think  I  never  knew,  a  single 
trick  of  that  most  subtle  art.  He  made  me  hate 
mere  words.  "  Have  something  to  say  and  say  it," 
is  the  only  rule  of  this  teacher  which  I  re- 
member. 

There  were  other  professors  who  did  their  share 
in  teaching  me  to  loathe  every  sham,  especially  the 
religious  sham;  to  be  myself  always,  when  that 
self  had  something  worth  while  to  express,  to  be 
fearless  but  without  venom;  to  love  men  without 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  PROPHETS    237 

enervating  sentimentality,  and  to  be  loyal  to  the 
truth  at  whatever  persf)nal  cost. 

Besides  the  faculty,  I  found  in  the  seminary  a 
body  of  fellow-students  who.  all  unconsciously, 
helped  in  educating  me.  A  spirit  of  heroism  per- 
vaded the  whole  group  ;  a  simple  genuineness  which 
was  exceedingly  attractive  to  me. 

The  second  Sunday  of  tny  residence  in  the  semi- 
nary I  went  out  to  preach.  The  journey  was  not 
undertaken  "  per  pedes  apostolorum."  but  in  a 
more  muscular  way.  per  handcar,  which  four 
theologues  propelled  over  a  track  leading  to  a 
stone  q..arry.  There  was  a  touch  of  danger  about 
this  trip,  for  the  track  was  poor  and  it  led  over 
high  trestles  which  made  me  dizzy  and  revived 
painful  memories  of  a  similar  journey  taken  under 
quite  different  conditions. 

The  congregation,  which  had  gathered  in  an 
abandoned  schoolhouse.  was  exceedingly  un- 
friendly. I  do  not  remember  what  I  talked  about ; 
I  do  know  that  the  "  heathen  raced  "  and  that  we 
had  to  n:sh  to  the  handcar.  It  had  been  lifted 
from  the  track  and  was  reposing  in  a  deep  ditch. 
50  the  persecuted  apostolic  band  had  to  find  its 
wav  back  afoot,  through  the  dark,  the  high  trestles 
being  traversed  on  all-fours  for  safety. 

A  short  time  after  I  started  on  a  new  and  still 
more  heroic  errand.     The  movement  now  known 


iSS  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

as  the  Anti-Saloon  League  liad  its  small  begin- 
ning at  that  time  and  in  that  place.  I  was  one  of 
its  earliest  agitators  and  was  asked  to  carry  the 
message  ut  prohibition  into  a  nearby  township 
known,  I  think,  as  Russia.  1  was  chosen  lor  this 
particular  territory  because  it  was  inhabited  by 
German  farmers,  to  whom  I  was  to  preach  the 
gospel  of  temperance  in  the  English  tongue.  In 
those  days  I  had  much  zeal  and  little  discretion,  so 
I  "  rushed  in  where  angels  feared  to  tread." 

I  went  to  Russia,  carried  there  by  a  horse  which 
was  a  local  celebrity.     It  belonged  to  a  missionary 
from  Africa,  who  was  spending  his  declining  years 
in  the  congenial  atmosphere  of  the  college  town. 
He  himself   was   past   the   days   when   he   could 
actively  further  the  cause,  but  his  horse,  being  still 
able  to  walk,  was  dedicated  to  the  service,  and 
upon  its  corrugated  back  I  undertook  the  danger- 
ous journey.     Walking  would  have  been  prefer- 
able, but  the  roads  were  impassable  for  foot  pas- 
sengers ;  even  the  horse  was  barely  able  to  plough 
its  way  through  the  sticky  mud. 

Much  the  worse  for  wea^  I  arrived  at  the 
schoolhouse  where  the  meeting  was  to  be  held. 
Every  inch  of  available  space  was  occupied  by  a 
crowd  which  showe.l  its  hostility  as  soon  as  I 
entered.  I  was  greeted  by  a  shower  of  decayed 
vegetables,  and  when  I  tried  to  speak  I  could  not 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  PROPHETS     «89 


make  myself  heard  above  the  din  and  roar.  In- 
stead of  dehveriiig  a  temperance  address,  I  was 
compelled  to  listen  to  a  speecli  by  the  Lutheran 
pastor,  who  compared  me  to  Judas,  for  "  was  not  I. 
a  German,  ready  to  betray  the  cause  of  personal 
liberty  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver"? 

The  truth  of  the  matter  was  that  I  did  not  get 
thirty  pieces  of  silver  or  anything  else  inr  my 
fruitless  errand,  n<jr  had  I  expected  any  fward. 
My  ardour  was  cooled,  however,  and  I  no  mure  at- 
tempted to  preach  prohibition  to  Germans. 

For  a  time  I  supplied  the  pulpits  of  various 
pastorless  churches  with  more  or  less  success,  but 
that  routine  of  work  did  not  appeal  to  me.  I 
thirsted  for  a  really  hard  task,  and  before  long  I 
got  it. 

Somewhere  out  in  the  country,  a  hundred  or 
more  miles  from  the  seminary,  two  churches  were 
to  be  reopened.  They  had  been  closed  because  of 
local  quarrels.  A  certain  faction  composed  of  one 
man  and  his  immediate  family  wanted  to  have 
absolute  control  of  all  the  affairs  of  their  church, 
and  because  the  community  did  not  agree  to  that, 
the  church  had  been  closed  for  five  or  six  years. 
Recently  it  had  been  reopened,  although  no  one  but 
the  man  and  his  family  attended  it. 

The  other  church  was  in  a  place  where  the  peo- 
ple had  suffered  such  spiritual  decline  that  they 


■':       it 

■'"•   :il 


a' 


2+0  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

could  not  or  would  not  open  it.  A  colleague  of 
mine  who  had  begun  holding  services  in  both  places 
magnanimously  offered  me  this  golden  opportunity 
for  heroic  service,  and  without  hesitation  I  ac- 
cepted it.  The  remuneration  wa^  u>  be  ten  dollars 
a  Sunday,  and  out  of  that  1  was  to  pay  my  railroad 
fare,  which  amounted  to  over  six  d(jllars.  I  men- 
tion this  lest  I  be  accused  of  having  gone  after  the 
"  loaves  and  fishes." 

The  first  Saturday  night  I  landed  after  dark,  in 
a  sea  of  mud.  at  the  railroad  station.  As  the  train 
moved  ofiF.  a  man  carrying  a  lantern  came  sham- 
bling out  of  tlie  shadows  and  in  a  very  gruff  voice 
greeted  me  thus : 

"  Be  you  the  preacher?" 

When  I  pleaded  guilty,  he  asked  me  to  mount 
one  of  two  horses  standing  near.  After  two  hours' 
jolting  through  half-frozen  mud.  we  arrived  at  an 
isolated  farmhouse  where  the  "  boss  "  of  the  church 
lived  with  his  family.  Cold,  stiff,  sore  and  alto- 
gether miserable.  I  was  conducted  to  the  garret, 
where  I  spent  the  night  in  a  bed  over  which  the 
snow  had  drifted. 

In  the  morning  my  host  conducted  me  to  the 
dooryard.  where  I  performed  my  ablutions,  as- 
sisted by  the  pump,  a  cake  of  laundry  soap  and  the 
family  towel,  which  was  far  from  immaculate  and 
almost  too  frozen  to  use.     After  a  very  greasy 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  PKOPHETS     «41 

breakfast  we  all  drove  over  to  a  small  settlement 
where  the  church  was  situated.  In  vain  one  of  the 
lx.>ys  rang  the  bell ;  no  one  came  to  answer  its 
summons,  so  the  "  ix)SS,"  his  family  and  their 
preacher  had  the  church  all  to  themselves. 

I  remained  in  town  after  tlic  service,  wishing 
to  canvass  the  situatiini.  but  although  I  went  from 
house  to  house,  no  door  opened  to  me,  for  I  was 
an  enemy — the  "  Ixiss  's  preacher  " — and  they 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  me. 

Dinnerless,  I  went  to  my  second  appointment, 
where  I  found  a  good  congregation  of  farmers' 
lads  and  lassies  as  well  as  members  of  the  younger 
townsfolk,  to  whom  the  service  was  a  diversion.  I 
announced  a  hymn  which  was  not  sung,  as  no  one 
was  willing  to  play  the  melodeon.  I  read  the 
Scripture,  the  only  part  of  the  service  in  which  I 
succeeded,  for  when  I  began  to  pray,  one  by  one, 
my  congregation  departed,  and  the  Amen  found 
me  in  full  possession  of  an  einpty  church.  Not 
quite  so  empty  either,  for  some  one  had  put  a  nest 
of  chilled  wasps  by  the  hot  stove.  As  they  thawed, 
they  took  possession  of  the  church  and  drove  away 
my  congregation.  I,  too,  did  not  "  stand  on  the 
order  of  my  going." 

In  spite  of  the  'iscouraging  beginning,  for  more 
than  a  year  I  travt!  ed  the  hundred  miles  back  and 
forth,    through    cold    and    heat,    serving    these 


242  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

churches,  making  many  mistakes,  the  recollection 
of  which  makes  me  shudder,  winning  a  few  friends 
and  I  hope  doing  some  good.  To  these,  my  first 
preaching  stations.  I  have  returned  frequently, 
under  happier  circumstances,  but  never  with  a 
holier  zeal  or  less  thought  of  self  than  in  those 
young  days  when  preaching  was  not  only  a  real 
passion  but  a  new  experience  and  when  my  net 
income  per  week  was:  Three  dollars  and  sixty 
cents. 


xxrv 

FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


SOME  time  ago,  it  devolved  upon  me  to  guide 
through  a  portion  of  this  country  a  Royal 
Commission  from  Germany  that  came  to 
study  some  of  our  social  problems,  and  the  insti- 
tutions which  have  been  created  to  meet  them  or 
to  solve  them.  What  most  astonished  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Commission  was  the  idealistic  current 
of  our  national  life.  One  of  them  frankly  con- 
fessed that  he  had  always  believed  us  to  be  the 
most  materialistic  and  practical  people  in  the  world. 

"  When  we  landed  in  New  York,"  he  said,  "  we 
spent  a  sleepless  night  in  one  of  your  gigantic 
hotels,  in  rooms  which  faced  three  busy  corners. 
Above  them,  high  in  air,  were  three  huge  and  in- 
genious electric  signs,  compelling  our  attention.  At 
one  corner  we  saw  the  face  of  a  woman  emerging 
out  of  the  night,  winking  her  right  eye  as  she  dis- 
appeared and  reappeared. 

"  Over  the  second  corner  a  large  whiskey  bottle 
emptied  its  flaming  contents  into  a  glass,  renewing 
the  process  every  few  minutes. 

"  The  most    wonderful   sign    was  that   which 


W 


244  FHOM  ALIKN  TO  (  ITIZEN 

seemed  I..  conii)lctely  o.vcr  the  lieavens.  It  repre- 
sente.l  a  chariut  race.  Fierce,  fiery,  tramping 
steeds  were  ur^'ed  <'U  U  a  reckle>^  driver  stamling 
in  his  chariMt;  luit  wlnle  its  wheels  moved  faster 
and  I'a-ter.  it  never  reached  the  i^^al. 

"  Those  three  sig  .appeared  t-  u>  to  represent 
the  "  nierican  spirit.  The  WMman  who  stems  to 
rule  everything',  the  whiskey  winch  >ymbolizes  y.nir 
l(,ve  of  plea>ure.  and  the  horses,  the  rush  of  tram- 

piing  trade. 

•■  Since  that  first  impression,  however,  we  have 
discovered  that  the  unseen  and  unadvertised 
forces  are  stron^'er  here  tlian  we  believed.  We 
have  ceased  to  he  startled  hy  y-ur  materialistic 
.symbols;  but  each  d.u  brin.^s  its  new  surprises  in 
the  sphere  of  ideals." 

Such  a  judt^nnn:  pas.sed  by  keen  students  of 
abnormal  social  p';en..inena,  was  exceedingly  grati- 
fying to  me;  for  long  ago  1  realized  that  fact, 
which  was  first  i-npresscd  up.-n  me  in  the  little  col- 
lege town,  where  I  discovered  the  real  and  the  less 
known  America. 

Founded  upon  an  ideal,  the  town  was  put  down 
into  a  t1at,  uniiniting,  uninspiring  landscai>c. 
which  olTered  no  commercial  advantages  whatever. 
It  did  give  brave  men  a  chance  to  build  a  com- 
munity in  which  to  realize  their  ideals,  a  college 
thr!V.!oh.  which,  to  nropagate  thetn  and  a  church 


FROM   AMKN    TO  (  ITIZKN 


iVi 


wherein  to  keep  llicin  vitali/id  1)>  cintacl  with 
( loil.  The  tliree — ci'inimimty,  collej^e  ami  churdi 
— were  so  lilemU't!  that  one  scarcely  knew  where 
one  bej^an  and  the  other  ended.  Work,  education 
and  reli^'ion  were  -iteeped  in  an  attno^pher^  oi 
prayer;  while  fanaticistn.  narmw-nnndedness  and 
hypocrisy,  if  they  existed,  and  no  doubt  they  were 
tliere.  never  dominated. 

While  life  may  have  been  sombre,  the  real  joys 
Wire  not  crowded  out;  for  the  colk-^'e  Ix-camc  a 
noted  centre  of  nui^ical  educatiun.  an  art  gallery 
containing  a  jjood  colKcti'  'U  of  paintings  was  devel- 
oped, and  last  but  not  k.isi.  the  championship  in 
many  fcjrms  ui  athletics  has  been  in  the  keeping  of 
the  institution  for  tnany  seasons. 

Great  men  lived  tliere,  unconscious  of  their 
greatness,  achievincj  far-reaching  results  in  a  mod- 
est way;  many  had  sutTered  derision  and  even  im- 
prisonment for  their  convictions,  and,  dying,  asked 
no  other  reward  than  the  approval  of  their  con- 
science and  their  God. 

That  which,  more  than  anything  else,  lifted  the 
place  in  my  estimation  and  inspired  my  love  for  it 
and  for  the  country  in  which  such  a  community 
was  possible,  was  the  fact  that  here  there  was  no 
diflFerence  of  race  or  of  sex;  that  all  were  God's 
children  with  a  full  chance  to  prove  their  worth. 

This  was  my  home  for  three  years;  as  far  as 


246 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


their  value  to  my  life  was  concerned,  i.»ey  might 
hav»;  been  as  n.any  ^ecadcs.  While  many  other 
forces  and  other  people  in  other  places  were  at 
work  to  r.:ake  and  shape  my  mind  and  character, 
here  I  put  off  much  of  the  "  old  man  "  and  put  on 
the  new.  It  was  a  daily  conversion,  a  process 
wl  ich  I  know  is  never  finished,  and  in  this  process, 
community,  college  and  church  each  had  its 
share. 

It  was  a  busy  as  well  as  a  self-renewing  life ;  for 
not  only  did  I  study  theolog>-,  I  taught  in  the 
modern  language  department  of  the  college, 
preached  every  Sunday  and  did  some  manual  la- 
bour. Such  a  mixture  of  occupations  not  only 
kept  me  from  becoming  one-sided  or  growing  into 
a  pious  prig,  but  helped  pay  my  expenses. 

My  passion  for  all  S'.trts  and  conditions  of  people 
was  kept  alive  by  the  fact  that  I  had  to  live  in 
close  proximity  to  several  Negroes  who  attended 
the  college  and  seminary.  One  of  the  brightest 
students  in  the  academy  was  a  black  boy  who 
learned  German  from  me  so  alarmingly  fast  that 
I  could  scarcely  keep  up  with  him. 

The  man  who  knew  Hebrew  most  thoroughly 
and  had  the  Hebrew  spirit  at  it.';  best,  was  a  young 
mi.atto  with  whom  I  frequently  talked  about  the 
tragedy  of  race.  I  have  never  been  weaned  from 
this    sense   of    kinship    with    all    men,   and    for 


T 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN  247 

this  gift  I  thank  God  more  than  for  any  other 
that  he  has  given  me. 

It  would  be  futile  to  try  to  tell  of  the  many 
jubilant  notes  which  my  seminary  experiences 
brought  into  the  hitherto  minor  chords  of  my  life 
in  America.  One  epoch-making  event,  however,  I 
must  record.  During  that  period  I  became  an 
American  citizen.  On  a  certain  never-to-be-for- 
gotten day  I  .»  Iked  to  the  county  seat,  about 
seven  miles  away,  to  get  my  papers.  What  ,eemed 
to  me  should  be  a  sacred  rite  proved  to  be  an  unin- 
spiring performance.  I  entered  a  dingy  office 
where  a  commonplace  man,  chewing  tobacco,  mum- 
bled an  oath  which  I  repeated.  Then  he  handed 
me  a  document  for  which  I  paid  two  dollars. 
When  I  held  the  long-coveted  paper  in  my  hand, 
the  inspiring  moment  came,  but  it  transpired  in  my 
own  soul. 

"  Fellow-citizen  with  the  saints!  Fellow-citizen 
with  the  saints !  "  I  repeated  it  many  times  all  to 
myscl  f . 

I  scarcely  noticed  the  straight,  monotonous 
seven  miles  back.  I  was  travelling  a  much  longer 
road;  I  was  reviewing  my  whole  life.  Far  away 
across  the  ocean  I  saw  the  little  village  in  the  Car- 
pathian "..lountains,  with  its  conglomerate  of  war- 
ring races  among  which  I  lived,  a  despised  "Jew 
boy."    Loving  them  all,  I  was  hated  by  all. 


248 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


1  heard  the  llugging  of  ilie  pcx>r  Slovak  peasants, 
the  agonized  cries  of  Jewisli  men  and  women  incar- 
cerated in  their  homes,  while  these  same  peasants, 
inflamed  by  alcohol  but  still  more  by  prejudice, 
were  breaking  windows  and  burning  down  houses. 

I  saw  myself  growing  into  boyhood  more  and 
more  separated  from  my  playmates,  until  I  lived, 
a  youth  with(jut  friends,  growing  into  a  "  man 
without  a  country !  " 

Again  I  felt  the  desolation  of  that  voyage  on 
the  sea.  relived  the  sweat  shop  experience  in  New- 
York,  the  hard  labour  in  mill  and  mine,  tramped 
across  the  plains  and  suffered  anew  all  the  agonies 
of  the  homeless,  hungry  days  in  Chicago.  Then 
came  the  time  when  faith  began  to  grow  and  the 
Christ  became  real:  the  reaction  from  a  rigid  the- 
olop>'  and  a  distasteful,  dogmatic  atmosphere. 
After  that,  (jncc  more  a  stranger  in  a  strange  but 
holy  place,  and  then  a  "Fellow-citizen  with  the 
saints!"     "Fellow-citizen  with  the  saints!" 

It  is  no  wonder  that  strangers  like  m}self  love 
this  country,  and  love  it.  perhaps,  as  the  native 
never  can.  Frequently  I  have  wished  for  the  care- 
less American  citizen,  who  holds  his  franchise 
cheap,  an  experience  like  my  own,  that  he  might 
know  the  value  of  a  freeman's  birthright.  It 
would  be  a  glorious  experience.  I  am  sure,  to  feel 
that    transition    from    subject    to    citizen,    from 


T 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN  «40 

scarcely  being  permitted  to  say,  "  I,"  to  those  great 
collective  words:  "We.  Fellow-citizens." 

If  I  have  preached  this  doctrine  of  fellowship  in 
a  hundred  variations  from  one  end  of  the  country 
to  the  other — a. id  I  have  done  it  almost  with  a 
fanatic's  zeal — those  ^  '.\o  have  read  the  story  of 
my  life  will  understand  the  reason.  I  have 
preached  this  doctrine  with  a  passion,  not  only 
because  America  gave  me  the  chance  to  achieve 
certain  things,  or  because  it  has  granted  me  certain 
rights  and  privileges,  but  because  this  country 
ought  to  be  able  to  keep  itself  young  and  virile  and 
vital  enough,  to  bestow  these  blessings  upon  all 
who  crowd  our  shores,  filling  our  cities  and  enter- 
ing daily  into  our  inner  life. 

A  hard  and  an  almost  impossible  task  it  is, 
unless  we  can  bring  our  idealistic  forces  to  bear 
upon  these  unformed  and  rude  elements  which 
come  to  "  spy  out  the  land." 

More  and  more  I  realize  that  the  right  of  citi- 
zenship has  been  too  easily  given,  because  it  is  too 
lightly  held ;  that  the  time  must  come  when  home- 
bom  and  stranger  shall  learn  to  realize  that  it  is 
not  only  a  gift  but  a  privilege  which  must  be 
:arned,  and  whose  right  to  hold  must  be  proved 
by  him  who  holds  ii.  The  community,  the  church, 
the  schools  and  tht  other  new,  articulated  ideals 
which  are  beinc  born  in  these  Letter  days,  must 


!! 


250 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


become  so  aggressive  and  so  vital,  that  even  these 
unlettered  folk  shall  know  that  the  three  electric 
signs  on  Broadway  are  not  the  symbols  which  dom- 
inate our  life.  They  must  learn  that  outside  this 
illumined  triangle  in  which  the  great  tragedies  of 
life  take  place,  there  is  a  vast,  unlimited  field  over 
which  broods  the  spirit  of  a  noble  idealism,  the 
spiiit  of  America. 

It  is  a  cause  for  sincere  gratitude  that  we  are 
becoming  more  and  more  conscious  of  the  power 
of  ideals  in  our  national  life,  and  that  these  ideals 
bid  fair  to  conquer. 

Another  great  day  came  to  me  when  I  graduated 
from  the  seminary.  I  remember  everything  con- 
nected with  that  momentous  exercise.  The  bac- 
calaureate sermon  was  preached  by  the  professor 
of  Hebrew,  who  had  in  the  meanwhile  become 
president  of  the  college.  The  te.xt  was,  "  For  unto 
me,  who  am  less  than  the  least  of  all  saints,  was 
this  grace  given  to  preach  the  Gospel."  It  was  a 
call  to  a  humble  spirit,  a  courageous  and  sincere 
pride  in  the  vocation  upon  which  we  were  entering. 
It  fitted  into  my  mood,  for  I  did  feel  the  sense  of 
humility  and  gratitude.  I  did  appreciate  the  high 
privilege  which  awaited  me. 

The  theme  of  my  address  on  Commenrcnient 
Day  was:  The  Old  Prophets  and  the  New  Prob- 
lems.   I  have  always  been  rather  prodigal  of  what 


FliOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN  251 

I  have  written,  and  that  paper  long  ago  disap- 
peared ;  but  its  spirit  has  remained  with  me.  I 
have  ne\  er  outgrown  the  theme,  even  as  perhaps  I 
have  never  ^Maine  '  the  ideal  I  held  out. 

At  last  the  exercises  were  concluded  and  I  re- 
ceived my  diploma.  The  tender  words  spoken  as 
It  was  given  me  I  also  have  not  forgotten.  The 
m^re  bowing  jf  the  head,  that  conventional  form 
by  which  we  expressed  our  thanks,  seemed  to  me 
most  inadequate.  Had  we  been  in  a  different  en- 
vir.jnment,  or  at  least  in  one  where  emotions  were 
not  held  in  check,  I  would  have  kissed  the  hand 
which  bestowed  it  upon  me. 

Life  was  all  joy  that  morning.  It  was  a  mag- 
nificent May  day,  the  eleventh  of  that  superb 
month.  The  town  was  at  its  best,  buried  in  Wos- 
som-crowned  trees  and  carpeted  in  flowers.  It 
was  a  glad  day  and  yet  a  sad  one.  Three  sheltered, 
glorious  yeprs  were  at  an  end;  years  in  which 
everything  was  given  me  freely,  as  God  gives 
freely.  I  had  come  a  stranger  into  a  strange  place, 
in  a  strange  country.  Now  I  had  f  riend,'?  dear  and 
loyal  friends.  The  unsettled,  unformeu  and  undi- 
rected life  was  shaped  for  service. 

The  class  in  which  I  graduated  wa?;  t>-pical  of 
the  product  of  the  institution.  It  was  made  up  of 
a  mixture  of  races  and  nationalities.    A  number  of 


^1 


f  rifirirt      mmTf^T^t"      tf^tCi      trif*      t  rifflG'? 


fiAi/^      ^C      ?T^!CC!f^?*'*  7t^C 


I- 


252 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


and  one  died  a  martyr's  death  in  China  during  the 
Bdxer  uprising  of  1900 ;  a  close,  personal  friend, 
whose  zeal  and  cc^urage  1  always  envied,  has  been 
one  of  the  moulding  forces  of  the  unfortunate 
Balkan  states. 

Most  of  the  class  have  done  a  valuable,  if  some- 
times humble,  service  in  country  and  town,  carry- 
ing wherever  they  went  the  idealism  they  had 
absorbed. 

Some  of  them  have  achieved  conspicuous  suc- 
cess. None  of  them  left  Oberlin,  the  School  of 
the  Prophets,  with  profounder  gratitude  than  I. 
While  I  left  there  with  a  sense  of  regret,  I  went 
out  with  joy,  for  I  was  leaving  it :  "  No  more 
Stranger,  but  Fellow-citizen  with  the  Saints." 


XXV 

MY  FIRST  PARISH 


WHEN  Saul  went  out  to  seek  his  father's 
stray  asses  and  returned  an  anointed 
king,  he  was  not  more  amazed  at  the 
mysterious  ways  of  Providence  than  was  I,  who 
went  out  a  homeless,  purposeless.  Jewish  lad,  look- 
ing for  work,  and  now  was  comfortably  speeded 
over  the  same  weary  road,  a  Christian  minister. 

The  contrast  was  all  the  greater  because  I  went 
to  the  same  state  and  the  same  neighbourhood 
where  once  I  was  a  harvest  hand ;  because  I 
crossed,  on  my  way,  over  the  same  railroad  bridge 
where  I  nearly  lost  my  life,  and  passed  by  the  same 
farms  where  I  vainly  asked  for  a  job;  I  even  saw, 
or  thought  I  saw.  the  same  barking  dogs  which 
blocked  my  way  on  the  previous  journey. 

My  sense  of  gratitude  to  the  Divine  Providence 
was  intense,  not  because  once  I  walked  half-starved, 
along  those  same  railroad  tracks,  while  now  I  rode 
over  them  well  dressed  and  well  fed;  not  because 
I  was  saved  from  hard  labour  and  anxiety:  rather 
I  felt  a  great  gratitude  for  all  those  experiences. 


(^^  ^11 


C^^f^CC      S?^':       cff^iT^ 


r^. 


kU- 


253 


J  —  .U- 


if 


S54  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

despair,  the  temptations,  the  narrow  margin  of 
escape  from  death  and  from  that  which  is  worse 
than  death. 

Frequently,  I  think  myself  back  lo  that  day, 
when,  with  a  bridegroom's  joy,  I  went  out  to  meet 
my  task;  when,  with  a  firm  grip  upon  God,  I 
faced  the  large  looming  responsibility ;  when,  with 
a  life  which  seemed  fresh  and  clean  as  a  child's, 
I  approached  its  solemn  beginning.  It  was  a  new- 
existence,  the  past  was  dead,  yet  much  alive — for 
we  never  escape  it.  It  did  not  seem  a  stone  to 
weight  and  hinder,  but  more  like  wings,  which 
buoyed  me  and  lifted  me.  It  was  not  the  mere 
exuberance  of  youth  which  I  felt;  for  although 
not  old  in  years,  I  had  lived  much.  It  was  the 
new  life,  the  ageless  life  which  had  come  to  me 
with  its  age-old  task ;  it  was  the  joy  of  doing  that 
bound  me  to  an  illumined  past  and  linked  me  to 
a  glorious  future.  I  have  since  known  many  of 
the  exaltations  which  come  into  life.  The  small 
gratifications  of  personal  vanities,  which  seem  so 
important  at  the  time  they  come;  the  joy  of  being 
called  by  the  masters  of  the  feast  to  come  up 
higher  and  higher  still;  but  no  such  experience 
lifted  me  to  the  height  which  I  attained,  with  the 
consummation  of  the  first  constructive  work  of  my 
life,  as  pastor  of  a  little  church  m  Minnesota. 

It  was  a  church  with  a  rich  history,  it  might 


MY  FIRST  PARISH 


Sffff 


be  better  to  say,  a  varied  history.  It  averaged 
about  a  pastor  a  year,  and  if  a  grateful  people  had 
remembered  each  one  of  them  with  a  memorial 
tablet,  the  church  wcjuld  scarcely  have  been  large 
enough  to  contain  them. 

Theologically,  it  stood  midway  between  a  con- 
servative Presbyterian  and  a  radical  Unitarian 
church.  Methodists  and  Baptist.?  took  care  of  the 
emotional  element  of  our  bit  of  Christendom ;  while 
an  Episcopal  church  looked  after  those  ritualistic- 
ally  inclined. 

There  were  Adventists,  Plymouth  Brethren, 
Spiritualists  and  Christian  Scientists.  Enough 
varieties  to  satisfy  every  possible  religious  Uste  of 
the  community,  which  numbered  about  eight  thou- 
sand souls,  half  of  whom  were  Roman  Catholics. 

The  ten  other  churches  I  have  mentioned 
ministered  to  the  capricious  spiritual  wants  of  the 
other  half,  made  up  of  Swedes.  Norwegians. 
Danes,  Germans  and  a  few  Americans. 

The  religious  field  to  which  I  had  come  reminded 
me  of  a  few  acres  of  ground  located  outside  the 
town,  beside  a  lake.  It  was  owned  by  three 
brothers.  They  lived  together  in  perfect  harmony ; 
but  differed  widely  as  to  what  crops  should  be 
raised  on  their  farm.  One  brother  sowed  wheat, 
the  other  put  in  com  and  the  third  planted  and 
cultivated  ootatoes.     Of  mnrce  fK»  r^n,^  ,.,—  »ii 


! 


im 


_.r"^f*'"'>i.; 


sr^G 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


a  failure,  but  it  was  a  wonderful  field  to  behold, 
and  kept  the  town  amused.  I  thought  it  might 
have  served  as  a  parable. 

My  church  was  made  up  of  the  usual  number  of 
good  people,  who  did  all  the  work  and  bore  pa- 
tiently all  the  burdens;  a  few  more  who  sampled 
the  new  minister,  overwiielmed  him  witli  kindness, 
and  then  bid  fair  to  make  an  end  of  him  by  their 
petty  criticisms  or  their  neglect. 

One  of  my  parishioners  who  stayed  away,  after 
bearing  with  mc  for  three  successive  Sundays,  re- 
fused to  come  again  because  she  "  had  her  opinion 
of  a  minister  who  parted  his  hair  in  the  middle." 
I  felt  rather  guiltless  of  so  frivolous  an  act.  because 
nature  had  already  liegun  to  do  the  parting  for  me, 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  I  strenously  objected. 

Another  one  of  my  heroic  members,  apologizing 
for  her  absence  from  church,  said  she  did  not  re- 
member whether  "  it  had  rained,  or  was  raining,  or 
was  going  to  rain." 

The  few  faithful  ones  were  the  salt  of  the  earth, 
but  I  often  wondered  whether  the  dear  Lord  did 
not  realize  that  I  liked  things  well  salted. 

Fortunately,  there  were  children,  to  whom  I 
brought  an  outgoing  love.  There  were  the  aged, 
whom  I  comforted,  and  the  sick,  whom  I  tried  to 
help  and  heal.  I  always  went  to  a  sick-room  in 
a  defiant  attitude  toward  the  disease,  and  with 


MY  FIRST  PARISH 


W7 


a  buoyant  hope  in  my  heart.  I  held  on  to  "  my 
sick,"  as  I  called  them,  as  if  they  were  drowning, 
and  the  good  Lord  and  I.  together,  could  pull 
them  from  the  engulfing  deep.  When  finally,  the 
triumph  of  death  seemed  inevitable,  I  took  a  sacred 
joy  in  guiding  the  soul  fearlessly  to  the  portals 
of  the  great  beyond. 

It  was  no  small  gratification  to  me  to  find  that 
I  was  admitted  into  every  sickroom,  and  did  not 
have  to  wait  to  be  called,  only  to  assist  in  planning 
the  funeral  service.  This  familiarity  with  death 
did  not  remove  the  mystery,  but  it  dispelled  the 
fear,  and  I  am  sure  that  those  whom  I  have  helped 
across  the  darkness  and  the  deep  will  be  there  to 
gyide  my  feet  aright  as  I  pass  to  the  great  beyond. 

I  do  not  know  of  any  relationship  in  life  so  rich 
and  sweet  as  that  of  pastor  and  people,  when  that 
relationship  is  sanctified  by  a  common  religious 
experience.  To-day,  after  many  years'  removal 
from  that  t>'pe  of  labour,  I  still  find  in  my  old 
parishes  my  staunchest  friends.  I  miss  in  my 
present  work  the  friendship  of  the  children,  the 
touch  with  old  age  and  its  infirmities,  the  leaning 
upon  me  of  men  who  need  counsel,  the  sense  of 
belonging  to  the  entire  community  and  sharing  its 
problems. 

I  fear  I  never  learned  during  my  pastorates  to 
bear  patiently  with  human  pettiness,  with  those 


W/^-*  'K'ip'''  , 


I 

W 


I 


MICROCOPY    l>£SOlUTION    TE'"    CHART 

ANSI  ona  ISC   Tf  S'  CHART  No    2 


1.0 


i!|;  2  3 


I.I 


1.25 


1.4 


IIIIM 

|||Z2 
[12.0 

1.8 
1.6 


^     APPLIED  irvl^GE 


m^ 


«68 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


trilling  criticisms  which  can  hurt  so  deeply,  with 
the  cliiltlish  vanities  of  full-grown  men  and  women, 
and  with  tlie  ever-dominant  self,  which  should  be 
so  subordinated  in  the  most  unselfish  relationship 
in  life. 

I  suffered  keenly  from  these  things,  indeed,  they 
were  my  only  martyrdom;  but  I  could  have  wished 
that  the  suffering  had  been  by  virtue  of  nail  prints, 
rather  than  of  pin  pricks.  I  would  have  gone  joy- 
fully to  the  cross,  but  rebelled  at  being  criticised 
as  to  how  I  carried  it. 

The  church  necessarily  vegetated,  it  scarcely 
lived.  It  might  have  set  itself  some  heroic  task,  and 
in  doing  it  died  a  glorious  death ;  but  I  was  young 
and  while  I  had  the  vision,  I  lacked  the  wisdom 
needed  for  just  that  time.  My  preaching,  while 
dynamic,  was  scarcely  constructive,  and  I  brought 
into  it  a  somewhat  distorted  view  of  values.  I 
preached  too  often  against  things,  ratlier  than  for 
them.  I  had  the  Puritan  attitude  toward  certain 
amusements  and  wasted  much  time  and  strength, 
fighting  windmills.  Unfortunately,  neither  the 
church  nor  I  had  a  program,  except  perhaps  to 
keep  the  institution  alive,  and  in  that  we  succeeded ; 
while  one  of  my  successors,  not  many  years  later, 
came  with  a  plan  and,  by  following  it,  killed  the 
church. 

In  this  my  first  parish  I  made  .all  the  big  mis- 


.-^■."■t;  ■  -tr'. 


> 


MY  FIRST  PARISH 


S59 


takes  which  ought  to  be  made,  if  made  at  all.  in 
a  church  like  that  one.  where  there  was  little  dam- 
age to  be  done.  The  greatest  mistake  occurred 
after  a  sincere  attempt  to  come  into  real  harmony 
with  all  the  religious  forces  of  the  community.  I 
was  upon  friendly  terms  with  the  Unitarian  min- 
ister, and  found  in  the  bishop  of  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church  a  more  or  less  cultured  man  and  a  most 
humble  minister  of  Jesus.  We  exchanged  calls 
with  the  result  that  we  became  friends. 

The  first  rift  in  this  friendship  appeared  when, 
upon  inviting  the  Unitarian  minister  to  preach  in 
my  church,  I  received  a  letter  from  the  bishop 
chiding  me  for  it,  and  declaring  such  an  exchange 
of  pulpits  disloyalty  to  our  common  Master;  but 
that  which  finally  turned  our  friendship  into  open 
enmity  came,  after  he  had  presided  at  a  meeting, 
in  which  a  noted  convert  to  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  discussed  Protestantism  with  the  bias  and 
zeal  of  the  proselyte.  I  foolishly  rushed  into  print, 
attacking  the  enemy  with  those  familiar  weapons 
whose  danger  lies  largely,  in  that  they  can  be  used 
in  both  directions:  for  Protestantism  did  not  al- 
ways turn  the  smitten  cheek,  or  indeed  was  it 
always  guiltless  of  persecuting,  or  of  any  of  the 
sins  which  belong  to  an  age  emerging  out  of  dark- 
ness. 

A  complete  estrangement  with  the  good  bishop 


260 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


followed,  much  to  my  regret.  Only  in  these  later, 
ripening  years,  have  I  learned  that  truth  is  many- 
sided,  and  that  it  can  be  comprehended  only  in  part, 
no  matter  how  eager  we  are  to  know  the  whole. 
Our  experience  and,  above  all,  our  personality,  de- 
termine our  relation  to  truth. 

From  his  Puritan  ancestors,  the  Protestant  in 
America  has  inherited  a  strong  prejudice  against 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  which  is  hard  to  over- 
come, and  I  suffered  from  that  inheritance. 

To  look  with  respect  upon  all  manifestations  of 
that  historic  faith,  to  treat  reverently  its  doctrines 
and  traditions,  and  to  judge  its  past  in  the  light  of 
the  present,  make  one  no  less  a  Protestant;  but 
give  one  a  chance  to  be  more  Christian.  To  live  in 
harmonious  relations  with  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  is  a  difficult  task  for  the  Protestant,  espe- 
cially in  the  face  of  its  aggression  and  its  dom- 
inance in  civic  affairs;  but  it  does  not  help  the 
matter  to  call  up  doubtful  ghosts  of  the  past,  to 
reflect  upon  its  priesthood,  or  to  belittle  and  ridicule 
its  doctrines. 

The  competitive  struggle  among  a  number  of 
denominations  has  its  good  sides,  I  suppose,  but  it 
influenced  my  thinking  and  preaching  in  a  wrong 
way.  It  cheapened  the  whole  process,  and  my  early 
enthusiasm  for  the  church  suffered  great  loss.  No 
doubt  it  is  a.  lar?e  enough  task  for  any  man  to 


MY  FIRST  PARISH 


861 


maintain  an  institution  in  which  a  hundred  or  two 
hundred  like-minded  people  gather  for  worship, 
twice  a  week ;  to  fill  the  pews  and  at  the  same  time 
the  hearts  and  minds  of  men;  to  close  the  church 
year  with  some  gain  in  membership  and  no  losses 
to  the  treasury.  The  task  is  indeed  a  large  one, 
and  I  may  not  have  been  big  enough  for  it. 

I  had  no  reason  to  complain.  My  church,  small 
as  it  was,  gave  me  an  important  place  in  the  life 
of  the  community.  It  gave  me  a  social  position 
of  no  mean  degree,  and  it  projected  me  into  vital 
contact  with  men ;  but  it  was  my  first  year  in  the 
Christian  ministry.  I  owed  all  I  had  to  my  new- 
won  faith.  I  had  an  unquenchable  ardour,  a  burn- 
ing passion,  an  apostolic  zeal;  yet  I  was  in  danger 
of  becoming  hardened  by  respectability  and  soft- 
ened by  the  solid  comforts;  a  preacher  of  flowery 
sermons  and  not  much  more.  I  found  no  way  to 
jay  back  to  the  world  what  I  thought  I  owed  it,  and 
my  position  made  no  demand  upon  me  for  sacrifice 
or  suffering.  No  doubt  I  could  have  made  much 
more  out  of  the  situation  than  I  did  make;  but 
that  I  realized  only  in  the  light  of  my  subsequent 
e.xperience. 

There  was  just  one  place  beside  the  sickroom 
which  demanded  my  utmost  endeavour;  that  was 
the  prison,  located  at  the  edpe  of  the  town,  in  a  dis- 
mal setting  of  scrub  oak  and  granite  quarrie.s.  Once 


I 


v».T 


^r"^^! 


262 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


a  month  I  went  ilicre  to  preach  to  the  "  boys." 
The  sii]jcrintenilent  tuld  me  that  tliey  hked  me  be- 
cause I  (lid  not  preach  about  the  prodigal  son. 
Evidently  he  was  a  favourite  text  with  visiting 
clergymen.  I  vividly  remember  one  service  when 
the  prison  choir  sang  most  effectively  as  an  anthem, 
"  I'm  the  child  of  a  King!  "  The  words  seemed  in 
such  pitiful  contrast  with  their  gray  garb,  their 
pale  checks,  the  cells  in  which  they  lived  and  the 
quarries  in  which  they  laboured,  that  I  discarded 
the  sermon  I  had  prepared  and  took  the  words  of 
the  anthem  as  my  text. 

Many  years  afterwards  at  the  close  of  a  public 
address,  a  sturdy,  prosperous-looking  man  pressed 
forward  and,  shaking  my  hand,  said :  "  I  sang  the 
solo  part  in  an  anthem  at  a  certain  place,  and  you 
took  the  words  as  your  text.  You  preached  that 
sermon  to  me,  and  now,  thank  God,  I  am  the  child 
of  a  King;  "  and  with  a  grateful  pressure  of  my 
hand  he  disappeared  in  the  crowd. 

That  which  makes  my  first  parish  most  memora- 
ble is  the  fact  that  to  it  I  brought  my  bride,  to 
whom  I  had  long  been  drawn  by  more  than  a  mere 
lover's  passion.  From  the  beginning  until  now, 
marriage  has  been  a  spiritual  relationship  in  which 
sex  never  cancelled  soul.  Our  life  has  been  so  much 
one  that  it  is  difficult  to  speak  of  her  as  apart  from 
mvself :  althouch  in  in.^.nv  of  life's  tasks  she  has 


Ifif:  ■i.iivV!:^^.: 


f-le^r^,. 


-•^■■■f'- 


^fc 


MY  FIRST  PARISH 


263 


had  the  larger  and  the  harder  share.  In  my  parish 
work  she  had  the  constructive  mind  and  that  kind 
of  leadership  wliich  created  the  least  friction.  She 
has  wrought  her  artistic  skill  into  our  home  without 
sacrificing  its  comforts.  Judging  and  correcting 
everything  I  write,  she  makes  the  way  of  my  pub- 
lisher much  less  hard  without  endangering  my  in- 
dividuality. But  lest  I  say  too  much  on  this  to  me 
absorbing  theme,  let  me  add  only  that  for  over 
twenty  years  she  has  been,  and  still  is,  my  heroine 
and  helper. 

In  fach  crisis  we  have  had  to  meet  together,  she 
has  supplied  the  courage  for  both,  whether  we 
faced  the  problem  of  the  daily  bread  or  of  life  or 
death.  She  never  wavered  a  moment,  never  turned 
craven,  never  feared  the  depths,  nor  turned  dizzy 
on  the  heights. 

My  people  were  most  generous,  both  to  my  bride 
and  to  me,  and  nothing  was  lacking  to  make  life 
pleasant.  There  was  work  enough  to  do,  yet  we 
both  craved  a  more  difficult  field;  one  which  would 
really  test  our  faith  and  make  sure  our  consecra- 
tion. Before  two  years  had  passed,  a  call  came 
to  a  church  much  less  prominent,  oflfering  a  smaller 
salary  and  difficulties  which  would  ta.\  all  our  re- 
sources. When  I  asked  my  wife's  advice,  she  said, 
unhesitatingly,  "Of  course  you  will  accept  it,"  and 
I  did. 


,>:^;: 


■'w^.  *- 


^^^r  ■.'- 


XXVI 


THE  LOWER  TOWN  CHURCH 

THE  Lower  Town  church,  in  a  large  city  of 
l!  Northwest,  was  situated  between  huge 
railroad  yards,  terminals  of  two  trans- 
continental railroads — and  the  cemetery,  a  more 
peaceful  terminus.  It  was  not  an  ideal  location 
for  a  church.  The  earth  vibrated  day  and  night 
from  the  shock  of  thundering  trains,  and  the  air 
was  thick  from  rising  smoke  and  falling  cinders. 

My  parishioners,  all  of  them  wage-earners, 
worked,  almost  without  exception,  either  on  the 
railroad  or  in  the  cemeter>',  among  "  the  quick  and 
the  dead."  Whichever  way  I  looked,  I  saw  either 
a  railroad  train  or  a  funeral  procession,  and  neither 
was  an  uninspiring  sight  for  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel. 

The  church  building  stood  at  the  edge  of  a  deep 
ravine,  in  the  bosom  of  a  sandy  hill ;  from  below  it 
came  the  curling  smoke,  and  from  above,  the  sifting 
sand.  Had  we  been  Roman  Catholics,  we  would 
have  needed  no  incense — had  we  been  Moham- 
medans we  would  not  have  had  to  seek  the  desert ; 

but  being  Protestants  who  desired  to  sing  hymns 

a«4 


'--^^-  -'-- 


;.•??>.  ^^C->'c*-rj 


THE  LOWER  TOWN  CHURCH       J6e 

and  listen  to  sermons,  we  worshiped  under  dif- 
ficulties. 

The  interior  of  the  church  was  as  unprepossess- 
ing as  the  exterior.  A  much-worn  carpet,  loosely 
held  together  hy  reluctant  patches,  covered  the 
floor,  and  the  walls  plainly  showed  the  effect  of 
the  nearness  of  the  railroad.  A  small  cabinet 
organ,  with  the  pulpit,  which  latter  stood  upon 
rather  insecure  foundations,  occupied  the  platform. 
The  pews  were  augmented  by  some  plain  chairs, 
and  the  ilhitnination  was  furnished  by  smoky  coal 
oil  lamps  which  did  not  moderate  the  cold  in  win- 
ter ;  but  greatly  increased  the  heat  in  summer. 

The  wealth  and  the  beauty  of  that  church  were, 
nevertheles.;,  unsurpassed.  Many  of  those  who 
sat  in  the  pews  came  with  weary  bodies,  often 
walking  a  mile  or  two.  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  all 
the  week  they  had  laboured  for  a  scant  wage. 
They  came  for  one  great,  solemn  purpose ;  to  hear 
the  Gospel  preached.  Whole  families  came,  and  as 
children  were  much  in  fashion,  the  pews  were  full 
and  the  atmosphere  was  charged  with  vital  piety. 

It  was  a  cosmopolitan  congregation:  Scotch, 
Scotch-Irish  and  real  Irish;  Germans.  English  and 
French ;  Swedes  and  Norwegians,  one  happy  Ital- 
ian and  a  few  Americans.  The  children  were  mix- 
tures of  many  races,  splendid  new  stock  to  quicken 
the  life  of  the  nation. 


266 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


It  was  an  inspiration  to  hear  that  congregation 
sing,  defying  the  clang  of  bells  and  the  noise  of 
shrill  whistles.  The  wheezy  little  cabinet  organ 
was  played  by  a  delicate,  pale- faced  woman  who 
transfonncd  it,  making  up  with  her  soul  and  heart 
what  the  instrument  lacked. 

I  do  not  know  how  I  preached;  blunderingly,  no 
doubt ;  but  with  a  passion  and  an  eloquence  which 
I  have  rarely  reached  since — for  here  the  Word  of 
God  was  in  its  native  element,  among  the  poor. 
They  were  self-respecting,  dignified  poor,  who  were 
rich  in  faith  and  in  good  works.  They  gave  more 
than  the  rich,  and  rejoiced  in  the  giving;  although 
they  suffered  because  of  their  generosity.  They 
rivalled  all  other  churches  of  that  denomination  in 
the  city,  in  their  contributions  to  good  works.  I  al- 
ways dreaded  to  make  an  appeal ;  for  I  knew  they 
would  give  more  than  they  could  afford.  They 
gave  not  only  money,  but  themselves.  The  women, 
weary  from  their  own  labour,  came  to  scrub  the 
floors,  or  patch  the  hopeless  carpet,  or  wash  the 
clinging  soot  from  windows  and  wall-o.  They 
taught  in  the  Sunday  school  and  sang  in  the  choir. 

The  men  were  as  faithful  as  the  women.  They 
kept  the  building  from  caving  in  or  from  sliding 
down  the  steep  hillside;  they  laboured  with  me  in 
the  church.  I  wish  I  could  erect  a  monument  to 
those  deacons;  real  New  Testament  deacons  they 


THE  LOWER  TOWN  CHURCH       267 

were,  the  enibudiment  ul  loyalty  to  the  be- 
loved cotnmuiiiiy.  if  I  single  out  one  name  from 
the  rest,  it  is  because  I  owe  to  him  who  bears  it 
a  debt  which  cannot  be  cancelled,  and  I  trust  that 
this  page  may  still  lind  him  among  the  living — 
Deacon  Nicoll — a  strong,  firm,  broad-minded 
Scotchman  who  saw  through  my  weaknesses  the 
bit  of  strength,  and  through  my  bungling,  the  good 
intent ;  who  prayed  for  me  and  worked  with  me, 
and  was  helpfully  present  at  every  meeting.  He 
never  praised  me  fulsomely — but  the  pressure  of 
his  hand  always  carried  a  current  of  new  life  and 
hope  into  my  worn  and  discouraged  frame. 

I  passed  through  a  rather  severe  mental  crisis 
during  my  pastorate  in  the  Lower  Town  church ; 
but  faith  never  failed  me  because  I  knew  this  man. 
who  was  a  true  disciple  whom  the  higher  criticism 
left  unmoved.  To  him  there  were  no  interpolated 
phrases,  and  only  one  authorship.  Jesus  Christ. 

To  one  who  has  gone  to  his  reward,  I  should  like 
to  pay  my  tribute — William  F.  Myron,  who  min- 
istered to  the  Lord  in  song,  whose  personal  friend- 
ship was  unwavering,  and  who  took  the  brunt  of 
the  hardest  tasks,  to  save  me.  His  loyal  wife,  one 
of  that  company  of  women,  survives  him.  and  al- 
tlu)ugh  she  has  moved  to  Upper  Town,  she  has 
remained  faithful  to  the  Lower  Town  church;  a 
bit  of  heroism  rare  in  these  days. 


ar>8  FliOM  ALIEN  TO  (  ITIZKN 

My  pastoral  wurk  was  a  bhepherdi  task,  with 
all  the  shcplKnl's  joys  and  sorrows;  for  even  in 
that  lluck  there  were  unruly  shcc|)  who  wandered 
away  an<l  whom  I  liad  to  seek  (nit  and  bring  back 
to  the  fold. 

One  of  my  wayward  sheep  should  have  been 
called  a  ram.  at  least  when  he  gave  way  to  his 
enemy.  "  whusky."     In  his  veins  tlowed  the  blood 
of    Scotch    Highland   chiefs  and    British  pirates. 
His  every  nerve  was  charged  with  a  fierce  courage 
and  a  thirst  for  alcohol.     When  sober,  he  was  as 
noble  as  a  knight  and  quite  as  handsome;  when 
drunk,  he  slipped  back  a  thousand  years,  and  all 
his  lawless  ancestors  (and  their  name  was  legion) 
took  possession  of  him.     Under  the  strange  spell 
of  into.xication  he  could  repeat  the  Westminster 
Catec'usm,  the  metric  version  of  the  Psalms,  and 
the  poems  of  "  Bobby  "  Burns — backward  and  for- 
ward, never  missing  a  word.    Right  eloquent  was 
he,  but  woe  unto  him  who  crossed  his  path  and 
attempted   to  cross   him.     He   was   a   periodical 
drunkard,  and  when  the  passion  overcame  him,  he 
made  up  in  a  week  what  he  had  missed  through 
sober  months.    During  one  of  these  sprees,  he  lost 
his  job.  and  his  wife  and  cliildren  were  in  want. 
I,  as  a  good  shepherd,  went  after  my  wandering 
she'p.     I  found  him  in  a  melancholy  mood.     He 
looked  upon  me  as  Saul  might  have  locked  upon 


THE  LOWER  TOWN  C  HLRCH       «69 

David,  with  a  sort  of  conternptuous  pity.  My 
gentle  admonitions  he  met  with  apt  (|uotations 
from  the  Scriptures  such  as  "  And  wine  maketh 
glad  the  heart  of  man!"  When  I  fjegan  to  up- 
braid him.  he  rose  m  all  his  offended  dignity. 
"  Wha  bade  ye  come  to  me  hoose?  " 
When  I  told  him  that  it  was  my  duty  to  come ; 
"  N'a.  na.  its  nae  yer  duty  to  come  into  me  hoose," 
and  witli  that  I  j  took  me,  not  gently,  by  the  back 
of  my  neck,  carried  me  out  and  set  me  ujx.n  the 
sidewalk,  with  these  words:  "Dominie,  ye  need 
nae  come  to  me  hoose  mair.  till  I  send  for  ye." 

He  did  send  for  ine.  and  I  went  again  and  again, 
with  prayer  and  arlnionition;  but  his  ancestors  were 
too  much  for  him;  he  went  out  in  one  of  those 
storm-tossed  days  of  his  and  never  returned 
alive. 

I  tried  to  save  much  human  wreckage,  succeed- 
ing in  some  cases  md  failing  in  others.  I  drew  an 
ill-mated  couple  into  the  fold,  but  they  would  not 
remain  enfolded.  Both  were  intemperate,  he  with 
liquor,  she  with  novels.  He  was  born  on  the  coast 
of  Maine,  followed  the  -ea,  then  drifted  inland 
and  tried  to  settle  down  at  a  cobbler's  bench  in 
Lower  Town.  Many  .-n  hour  I  sat  on  a  three- 
lep,£^ed  stool  opposite  him.  watchin.j^  him  straighten 
out  crooked  heels  and  patch  worn-out  soles.  The 
straightening  of  a  pair  of  crooked  heels  is,  after 


270 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


all,  an  easy  job.  even  if  each  be  worn  in  another 
direction;  but  to  straighten  out  a  pair  of  ill-shaped 
and  ill-mated  human  beings — "  Aye,  there's  the 
rub!  "  Time  after  time  I  found  him  standing  by 
the  kitchen  stove,  drinking  beer  from  a  tin  pail 
and  eating  a  smoked  herring  out  of  soiled  fingers 
while  his  wife  sat  in  her  untidy  parlour  in  the 
one  rocking  chair  of  which  it  boasted,  reading  the 
"  Memoirs  of  Madame  Pompadour,"  or  other  spicy 
stuflf.  All  their  trivial  quarrels  were  brought  to 
me.  He  showed  me  his  unmended  garments  as 
proof  of  her  negligence,  and  she  displayed  the 
black  and  blue  spots  with  which  her  spouse  had 
decorated  her. 

What  made  the  situation  more  tragic  was  that 
they  were  both  deeply  religious,  and  their  seasons 
of  repentance  came  at  the  most  unexpected  and 
inconvenient  times.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing he  would  waken  me  from  my  slumbers  to  pray 
for  him;  his  soul  sober,  but  his  body  still  stag- 
gering. 

She  usually  came  on  Saturday,  when  I  was  busy 
with  my  sermons.  At  such  times  she  would  pour 
out  her  soul  before  me.  confessing  her  sins  and 
promising  to  "  tidy  up,"  cook  a  decent  meal  and 
be  done  with  novels.  These  seasons  of  repentance, 
with  much  effort  on  jny  part,  sometimes  lasted  a 
week  or  two,  then  they  both  slipped  back;  he  to 


mm^mw^i^m^i^i^mm^ 


THE  LOWER  TOWN  CHURCH       «71 

beer  and  herring,  she  to  her  rocking  chair  and  the 
novels. 

I  thought  it  a  day  of  great  triumph  when,  in 
one  of  those  repentant  moods,  they  united  with 
the  church.  She,  gaunt  and  ungainly,  towered 
above  him,  undersized  and  cadaverous,  his  eyes 
burning  from  the  supreme  desire  for  drink.  When, 
confessing  their  sins,  they  professed  repentance 
and  accepted  the  guidance  of  the  Christ,  I  thought 
I  heard  the  angels  in  heaven  rejoice.  Both  the 
man  and  his  wife  leaned  upon  me  more  than  upon 
their  Lord;  so  before  many  months  I  found  him 
reeling  and  his  wife  rocking  as  before.  Finally, 
the  last  enemy  came  to  claim  him.  He  went  once 
more  upon  the  sea.  During  a  storm  he  tried  to 
take  in  the  torn,  flapping  sails  and  fell  into  the 
hungry  waves. 

After  his  death  his  wife  left  the  city  and  it  was 
years  before  I  heard  of  her  again.  She  had  cast 
in  her  lot  with  a  certain  religious  group  and  was 
leading  a  respectable  and  useful  life. 

Fortunately,  the  majority  of  the  people  and  the 
homes  of  the  Lower  Town  church  were  not  of  the 
stamp  just  described,  and  I  came  in  contact  with 
many  interesting,  if  humble,  people,  of  varied 
creeds  and  races. 

Lower  Town  had  no  parks,  no  sparkling  foun- 
tains, no  shade  trees,  no  green  lawns;  but  it  had 


27a 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


children — children   innumerable;   French  toddlers 

whose  eyes  were  bigger  than  all  the  rest  of  them ; 

olive-complexioned.  dirty,  junior  banana  peddlers; 

tow-headed   little   Swedes,   and   Pats   and    Mikes 

innumerable. 

It  has  often  been  a  question  why  there  were  so 

many  of  them  in  Lower  Town,  but  I  think  now 

that   they   were  all   made    for  "  Mike  Flaherty's 

Candy  Store  " ! 

So   read  his  gorgeously  painted  sign,  and  the 

children  swamied  around  the  store  like  bees  around 

clover. 

"  Och !    Oi  loves  the  childers,"  Mike  used  to  say. 

"  Me  and  me  Mary  ain't  had  nin  of  our  own  " — 

and  here  he  heaved  a  deep  sigh. 

"  Forty  years  hev  we  been  merried,  come  next 
St.  Patrick's  Day,  and  niver  a  chick  nor  child  of 
our  own.  God  bless  'em  all,  the  little  darlints;  Oi 
love  thim  all  ixcipt  thim  durty  little  Dagoes,  drat 
'em!  Oi  can't  shtand  thim;  they  smell,  sur!" 
Here  his  grimy  fist  would  come  down  upon  the 
counter  with  such  force  that  tlie  candy  jars  rattled 
in  sympathy.  "  You  don't  belave  me ;  Oi  say  it 
again,  they  smell,  sur,  they  do;  Oi  smell  the  var- 
mints a  square  away,  sur!  " 

For  all  that,  Mike  had  no  compunction  in  taking 
their  pennies  as  they  came  to  him  from  many  a 
dirty  palm  in  exchange  for  his  chewing  gum,  his 


ji:::^^-^^^ 


THE  LOWER  TOWN  CHURCH       «78 

fly-specked    marbles    and    sticks    of    many-hued 
candy. 

Mike  and  Mary  had  kept  the  Lower  Town  candy 
store  for  many  years.  At  four  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing the  door  would  swing  open  and  the  curtain 
would  be  raised,  disclosing  to  view  the  same  boxes 
of  chewing  gum,  a  tray  full  of  jewelry  premiums 
for  the  gum  purchasers,  marbles  and  tops.  Until 
twelve  o'clock  at  night  the  dim  light  burned  in  a 
transparency,  assuring  the  passer-by  of  '*  Ice  cream 
for  sale  by  the  quart  or  dish  inside." 

Mary  was  the  presiding  genius  during  the  early 
morning  hours,  and  Mike  held  vigil  while  burned 
♦he  "  midnight  oil."  As  he  felicitously  expressed  it, 
"  Mary  catches  the  urly  burds  and  Oi  catches  the 
late  ones." 

Mike  was  small  and  wiry,  only  a  slight  tilt  of  the 
nose  betraying  his  nationality.  He  wore  his  hair 
long  and  brushed  it  tightly  over  the  bald  spot  in 
front. 

A  large  cross  hung  from  his  huge  watch  chain. 

"  You  moightn't  think  thcin  is  rale  diamonds, 
sur,"  ht'  would  say  to  every  new  acquaintance, 
"  very  few  thinks  it,  but  they're  ginuwine." 

Xo,  they  never  would  think  it;  for  there  was  no 
more  light  or  sparkle  in  those  stones  than  there 
was  in  poor  Mary's  pale  blue  eyes. 

Mary   must   once  have  been  a  beautiful   girl. 


Httii 


a7* 


FIIOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


Her  complexion  still  showed  some  of  the  blush  of 
youth,  lingering,  as  the  sunset  glow  lingers  in  the 
sky.    Her  hair,  almost  white,  was  still  abundant. 

For  some  time  I  had  noticed  in  my  not  infre- 
quent visits  to  tlie  dear  old  cuuplc  that  Mary 
seemed  frailer  than  usual ;  so  it  was  no  shock  to 
me  when  Mike  came  breathlessly  into  my  study  one 
day,  crying: 

"  Mary  is  awful  sick,  sur!  Oi'm  going  for  the 
docther.  Won't  you  come  over  and  watch  by  her 
while  Oi  fetches  him?" 

I  found  Mary,  almost  unconscious,  lying  upon 
the  couch.  When  she  saw  me,  she  lifted  her  feeble 
fingers  to  her  forehead,  making  the  sign  of  the 
cross.  I  understood.  She  wanted  a  priest;  but 
not  daring  to  leave  her  alone,  I  took  the  crucifix 
from  the  wall  and  gave  it  to  her.  She  pressed  it  to 
her  lips  while  I  knelt  and  prayed  as  best  I  could. 
I  never  felt  that  I  knew  how  to  pray  for  the  dying; 
but  I  did  pray  until  Mike  came  with  the  doctor. 
Then  I  went  for  the  priest. 

He  performed  the  sacred  rite  of  the  Extreme 
Unction  and  prayed  in  a  different  tongue,  and  a 
different  way  from  mine;  but  I  am  sure  that  our 
petitions  did  not  clash,  as  they  rose  to  the  throne  of 
God. 

Another  home  where  I  loved  to  go  was  a  bright 
5«->q(    yv.}^^i-p  nnp  "TMic!  housewife  had  successfully 


'  ••      I  '    '*L    i 


^m.'-'^^^^^m^,^.?^ 


THE  LOWER  TOWN  CHURCH       «75 

battled  with  soot,  and  smoke,  and  dust,  and  grime. 
This  bright  spot  was  old  Mrs.  Kaiser's  cottage. 

A  freshly  painted  iron  fence  replaced  the  wooden 
one  which  had  been  whittled  away  by  the  army  of 
Lower  Town  loafers,  or  carried  away  little  by  little 
for  kindling  wood  by  her  economically  inclined 
Irish  neighbors. 

Old-fasliioned  hollyhocks  grew  inside  the  rail- 
ing, peonies,  sweet  william  and  geraniums  guarded 
the  porch,  and  climbing  over  it  was  a  Virginia 
creeper,  its  bright  green,  with  shining  leaf,  assur- 
ing the  passer-by  that  both  porch  and  vine  were 
scrubbed  every  summer's  day.  The  flowers  were 
brighter  than  any  in  Lower  Town,  and  every  Sun- 
day a  bouquet  tightly  tied  into  a  towering 
pyramid  stood  on  the  pulpit  of  the  Lower 
Town    church. 

But  brighter  than  her  flowers  and  vine  was  dear 
old  Mrs.  Kaiser  herself.  She  was  much  bent  by 
age,  there  was  hardly  a  tooth  in  her  mouth,  but 
there  shone  in  her  eyes  the  light  of  goodness  which 
burns  brighter  as  the  bo<ly  fails.  A  sweet,  sad 
smile  always  played  about  her  lips,  and  when  she 
stood  among  her  hollyhocks  and  peonies,  or  sitting 
on  the  porch,  rocked  and  rocked,  as  she  peeped 
through  the  vines,  there  was  sunshine  in  Lower 
Town. 

One  stoftiiy  winter's  nsght  I  was  hasthy  ca^ed 


f76 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


to  this  bright  spot  to  administer  the  communion. 
Dear  old  Mrs.  Kaiser  was  dying.  A  spiritual  radi- 
ance which  emanated  from  lier  face  seemed  to  fill 
the  room.  Her  mind,  weakened  by  illness,  wan- 
dered and  I  was  her  son,  the  one  who  had  gone 
from  her  years  before  and  never  returned.  She 
looked  strangely  like  my  own  dear  mother,  and  I 
did  love  her  as  a  son. 

She  believed  in  the  transubstantiation  of  the 
bread  and  wine.  To  her  they  were  the  real  body 
and  blood  of  the  slain  Son  of  God.  As  I  held  the 
sacramental  cup  to  her  lips,  I  cared  not  to  disturb 
her  unwavering  faith,  and  I  am  sometimes  tempted 
to  believe  that  even  so  great  a  miracle  was  pos- 
sible, in  an  atmosphere  like  that,  in  which  an- 
tagonistic faiths  blended,  and  strangers  became 
mother  and  son. 

The  next  spring  the  beautiful  flowers  in  front 
of  Mrs.  Kaiser's  cottage  were  sadly  neglected,  and 
another  bright  spot  in  Lower  Town  had  grown 
dim;  for  the  s«.  id  and  soot  had  claimed  it  as  their 
own. 

The  great  and  permanent  result  of  my  Lower 
Town  ministry  was  the  new  note  which  came  into 
my  preaching.  It  used  to  be,  "  People,  be  good !  " 
In  a  hundred  ways,  from  a  hundred  texts  I  had 
preached  it.  Now  it  became:  "  People,  be  good  to 
One  Another,"  and  no  m.itter  what  my  text  or  my 


THE  LOWER  TOWN  CHURCH       tTt 

subject,  whether  I  preach  or  teach  or  write — in 
one  way  or  another  it  comes.  "  People,  be  good 
to  One  Another." 

In  Lower  Town  I  saw  the  supreme  test  of  the 
Church  accomphshed.  A  vital  unity  was  created 
among  people  of  different  races  ^  longues;  they 
were  bound  together  into  a  w<iw  blood  kinship, 
which  is  wider  than  tribe  or  nation  or  race,  and 
they  were  a  new  people,  one  in  Christ  Jesus. 

There,  for  the  first  time,  I  came  in  touch  with 
the  "  Melting  Pot."  It  was  not  a  chafing-dish, 
with  an  alcohol  lamp  under  it,  as  many,  forming 
their  conception  of  it  from  Mr.  Zangwill's  rather 
mild  drama,  imagine  it  to  be;  it  was  a  real,  seething 
caldron,  with  its  age-old  fires  of  hate  and  preju- 
dice threatening  to  consume  its  contents.  Then 
came  the  torrent  of  love,  with  its  mighty  power, 
putting  out  the  old  fire  by  kindling  a  new  one. 

There  in  Lower  Town  my  neighbour,  an  old 
Jewish  ragman,  came  and  asked  me  to  "  commit 
a  matrimony."  by  marr}ing  his  niece  to  as  typical 
an  Irishman  as  I  have  ever  seen.  There,  too.  I 
baptized  the  baby  born  of  that  Irish- Jewish  parent- 
age. 

The  relatives  on  both  sides  claimed  the  privilege 
of  selecting  its  name,  and  decided  on  Patrick  and 
Moses,  respectively.  A  conflict  seeming  imminent, 
as  I  stood  ready  to  perform  the  sacred  rite — I 


':« ■>  esi 


^<^3»^, 


278 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


interposed  and  with  one  syllable  from  each  name, 
baptized  the  child  Patmos,  which  satisfied  both 
factions. 

This  boy  Patmos  became  rather  symbolic  of  ail 
my  ministry,  for  it  has  been  my  supreme  efiFort  to 
reconcile  old  divisions,  blot  out  old  hates  and  bring 
into  kinship  those  who  have  been  afar  off.  It 
would  be  too  great  presumption  to  believe  that  I 
have  always  succeeded;  but  to  feel  that  I  have 
tried,  that  I  am  still  trying  and  have  not  lost  faith 
that  it  shall  ultimately  be  accomplished,  is  some- 
thing in  which  to  glory. 


^y^ 


XXVII 
THE  LOWER  TOWN  PARSONAGE 

THE  parsonage,  fortunately,  had  nothing 
whicli  the  church  or  its  people  lacked.  It 
fitted  well  into  its  environment  of  soot, 
sand  and  poverty.  It  was  not  a  bit  pharisaical. 
"  The  outside  of  the  cup  and  platter  "was  no  more 
inviting  than  the  inside,  when  we  first  saw  it.  one 
cold,  gray  November  day.  Its  original  colour  was 
undiscoverable. 

Within,  some  of  the  rooms  showed  graceful 
festoons  of  paper  hanging  from  the  walls;  while  in 
others,  sections  of  plaster  had  fallen  from  the  ceil- 
ings. Gas  and  electricity  were  as  far  removed  from 
us  as  from  the  Middle  Ages,  window  panes  were 
missing,  and  even  the  frames  were  gone  from  the 
cellar  windows,  thus  offering  free  access  to  the 
neighbourhood's  numerous  cats.  They  were  not  a 
serious  menace;  but  when  the  mercury  suddenly 
dropped  and  the  frost  gripped  the  water  pipes  and 
the  snow  drifted  into  the  cellar,  we  realized  that 
we  had  a  battle  to  fight,  which  proved  to  be  no 
easy  one. 

We  spent  much  of  our  time  thawing  out  the  lead 
279 


280 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


pip€s  with  kerosene  flames,  and  that  a  conflagra- 
tion did  not  result,  must  be  due  to  the  fact  that  a 
special  Providence  watches  over  foolish  young 
preachers  and  their  wives.  There  was  a  furnace 
in  the  house — but  it  was  in  a  state  of  innocuous 
desuetude — so  we  kept  from  freezing  by  installing 
one  of  those  artistic  structures  known  as  base- 
burners.  Fortunately,  there  were  many  rooms  in 
the  house,  and  by  closing  the  worst  of  them  and 
fumisiiing  the  best,  the  outlook  became  more  en- 
couraging. 

There  was  also  a  severe  struggle  in  making  the 
inadequate  salary  meet  the  household  budget  and 
other  financial  obligations.  Mere  delicacies  were 
ruled  out  of  our  menu,  and  the  varying  fashions  in 
clothes  had  to  be  followed  "  afar  of!  " — very  far 
indeed;  yet  all  the  comfort  and  luxury  which  could 
be  created  by  a  most  skilful  helpmeet,  all  the  hap- 
piness which  comes  from  love,  all  the  satisfaction 
which  follows  service,  were  there,  in  abundant 
measure. 

Some  of  our  trustees,  with  their  own  hands, 
made  the  most  necessary  repairs,  and  under  the 
stress  of  circumstances,  we  became  papcrhangers, 
upholsterers  and  painters.  In  that  parsonage  we 
began  the  making  of  our  present  type  of  home, 
which  has  upon  everything  the  personal  touch  and 
whose  value  cannot  be  estimated  in  money. 


TIIK  LOWER  TOWN  PARSONAGF      «81 

The  settlement  in  tliis  country  was  yet  in  its 
infancy;  but  quite  unconsciously  we  created  one. 
The  parsonape  became  the  community  centre  and 
was  used  for  the  common  gocxl.  We  had  no  print- 
ing press,  but  we  spent  many  weary  hours  design- 
ing and  manifolding  on  the  mimeograph  a  weekly 
leaflet  which  gave  the  parish  news  and  served  as  a 
medium  of  expression  for  the  various  organizations 
of  the  church. 

There  were  boys'  and  girls'  clubs  which  we 
planned  and  drilled  for  all  sorts  of  entertainments ; 
classes,  studying  a  variety  of  subjects,  met  in  the 
evenings  with  one  or  the  other  of  us,  and  our 
activities,  while  absorbing  and  often  fatiguing, 
brought  their  own  reward.  There,  too,  a  group  of 
wcrkingmen  met  with  me  to  discuss  their  prob- 
lems, which  were  beginning  to  l)e  acute,  and  finally 
culminated  in  a  serious,  long-drawn-out  strike. 

The  men  were  in  no  sense  agitators  or  inclined 
to  demand  unreasonable  concessions.  Their  griev- 
ance lay  at  the  root  of  modern  industrialism:  they 
experienced  the  change  from  personal  relationship 
to  a  "  boss,"  who  once  was  of  their  own  clas";.  to 
a  Limited  Liability  Stock  Company,  with  it<  di- 
vided ownership  and  its  absentee  land1or(li«:m. 
They  used  to  work  with  "  Jim  "  and  they  worked 
for  him  with  a  kind  of  fierce  joy.  "  Jim  "  was 
shrewd  enough  to  see  that  another  transcontinental 


«8«  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

line  was  needed  to  the  Pacific  Northwest,  and  he 
began  to  build  it;  that  is,  he  had  the  vision  and 
determination,  and  these  men  helped  him  realize 
them,  and  rejoiced  in  every  new  mile  of  railroad 
added  to  the  system.  They  worked  time  and  over- 
time for  "our  road";  invented  new  mechanical 
devices  and  asked  no  reward,  except  that  of  see- 
ing their  road  grow  beyond  the  older  rival. 

They  were  not  a  bit  envious  of  "  Jim,"  who  had 
taken  a  wife  of  their  own  class,  moved  up  on  "  The 
Hill  "  and  built  himself  a  home  bigger  than  the 
roundhouse  at  the  terminus  and  costlier  than  a 
king's  palace.  They  were  proud  of  it  all,  and 
gloried  in  it,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  they  had  to 
stay  in  Lower  Town  and  live  among  the  sandhills 
and  the  smoke-filled  ravines.  The  bosses  and  fore- 
men were  of  their  own  kind,  and  they  all  worked 
together  for  the  good  of  the  road. 

Then  came  the  cliangc,  gradually,  hut  not  pain- 
lessly. The  old  men  were  dropped  without  cere- 
mony. Their  pay  envelopes  were  handed  them, 
with  the  last  week's  wages  inside,  and  "  You  need 
not  report  next  week,"  outside.  I  remember  one 
old  man  who  had  worked  in  the  car  department 
many  years;  a  self-respecting.  God-fearing  Eng- 
lishman, who  had  brought  up  and  educated  a  largo 
family.  He  had  given  his  best  years  and  much  of 
his  inventive  genius  to  "  our  railroad,"  for  a  com- 


Tin:  LOWER  TOWN  PARSONAGE      283 


pensation  which  gave  him  no  chance  to  save. 
When  he  was  unceremoniously  discharged,  the 
shock  so  dazed  him  that,  hke  a  heartbroken  man, 
he  lay  down  and  died. 

Then  came  a  sharp  reduction  of  wages.  Ordi- 
narily the  men  would  have  faced  courageously  the 
problem  of  how  to  live  on  a  smaller  wage;  but  now 
they  were  sullen  and  resentful.  If  "Jim"  had 
gone  down  to  the  shops  and  explained  to  them  that 
times  were  hard  and  cars  idle,  and  that  dividends 
had  to  be  paid;  or  if  he  had  come  and  told  them 
that  he,  too,  had  his  salary  reduced  on  account  of 
the  hard  times,  they  would  have  gone  to  work  and 
laboured  harder  than  ever. 

Or  if  "  Jim  "  could  have  known  what  that  cut  in 
wages  meant  to  Lower  Town.  Of  course  he  knew 
once,  because  he  lived  there  and  was  one  of  them ; 
but  he  had  forgotten  that  at  such  times  debts  piled 
up  at  the  grocer's,  that  the  men  in  despair  hung 
around  the  saloon  and  stupefied  their  minds  with 
fie/y  vvhiskey;  that  children  were  sick  and  needed 
nursing  and  medicine.  Perhaps  if  "  Jim  "  had  re- 
membered, the  wages  would  not  have  been  cut  quite 
so  deeply. 

So  the  workingmen  struck.  They  hung  about  in 
sullen  groups,  they  yelled  "  scab."  threw  rocks, 
blocked  switches  and  demolished  trains.  There 
were  deputy  sheriffs  and  constables  and  hired  ruf- 


284 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


tians  by  the  liundreds ;  but  ihey  did  not  compel  the 
men  to  go  back  to  work.  It  was  the  hunger  of  their 
children  that  did.  They  were  defeated,  and  re- 
turned to  their  places  at  a  lower  wage;  but  I  ven- 
ture to  .say  that,  because  of  the  lower  wage,  there 
was  much  the  lower  output.  The  one  thing  of 
supreme  value  wiiicli  they  never  could  give  again 
was  the  self-sacrificing  devotion  they  once  felt  to 
"  our  r.  id." 

It  is  frequently  claimed  that  Socialism  has 
created  class  consciousness.  No  doubt  it  intensi- 
fies it,  by  bringing  it  out  into  strong  relief;  but  I 
have  seen  class  consciousness  grow  before  my  very 
cye.s.  and  S(jcialism  had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  I 
do  know  that  two-thirds  of  the  men  whom  I  used 
to  meet  in  that  upper  room  became  Socialists.  I 
have  no  means  of  knowing  how  many  of  them 
have  despaired  even  of  Socialism  with  its  orderly 
program,  and  have  swung  over  to  the  I.  VV.  W.,  but 
their  number  cannot  be  inconsiderable. 

I  have  been  told  frequently  that  we  import  So- 
cialists and  Anarchisms.  Probably  we  get  those  who 
have  awakened  in  the  Old  World  to  the  Old 
World's  wrongs,  and  have  despaired  of  seeing  them 
righted.  Perhaps  a  few  of  them  are  imported;  but 
we  have  quite  a  respectable  home  industry,  what 
one  might  call  an  infant  industry,  in  the  manu- 
facture of  Anarchists.    This  one,  like  many  infant 


THE  LOWER  TOWN  PARSONAGE     285 


industries,  has  grown  colossal,  having  fed  upon  the 
results  of  special  privileges  to  the  few,  and  special 
wrongs  to  the  many. 

It  is  undeniable  that  gigantic  corporations  have 
helped  to  create  gigantic  problems;  that  although 
they  have  spanned  continents  more  quickly,  they 
have  separated  humanity  too  suddenly.  They  may 
have  heapened  products ;  but  they  have  also  cheap- 
eneu  -he  producers. 

I  repeatedly  went  to  see  "  Jim,"  to  plead  with 
him  for  his  men.  I  never  succeeded  in  penetrat- 
ing further  than  the  outer  office,  and  was  well 
laughed  at  for  my  pains,  when  I  told  his  under- 
ling my  remedy  for  the  strike.  I  have  sometimes 
laughed  at  myself  when  I  thought  of  the  remedy, 
which  I  have  so  often  urged  for  our  social  ills. 
I  had  almost  lost  faith  in  it.  until  the  other  day. 

In  the  vestibule  of  a  church,  where  I  had  spoken, 
the  president  of  a  steel  company  caught  hold  of 
me.  When  he  introduced  himself  I  felt  myself 
growing  pale ;  for  I  knew  his  name  as  one  to  be  con- 
jured with,  a  master  of  thousands  of  men.  and 
I  expected  him  to  scoff  at  me.  He  took  my  arm 
and  gripped  it,  while  he  told  me  a  story,  the  end 
of  which  I  did  not  care  to  hear;  for  I  felt  sure  it 
would  smash  my  theories. 

"  We  had  a  strike,  one  strike  only,"  he  said. 

"  Our    mpn    arcw    pvritpH    thrnnirh    atritatrtrc    vahn 


«86  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

had  come  among  them.  They  destroyed  much 
property,  and  our  mills  were  as  idle  as  a  merry-go- 
round  in  the  winter  time. 

"  I  asked  to  see  the  leaders,  and  they  came. 
They  were  Hungarians  and  Poles,  stolid  fellows 
who  had  worked  for  us  a  number  of  years.  They 
stated  their  grievances;  I  realized  that  they  were 
just,  and  granted  their  demands  immediately.  All 
were  to  be  taken  back  except  the  strike  leaders. 
To  this  the  men  agreed;  because  these  men  had 
been  particularly  and  needlessly  vicious. 

"  As  they  went  out  with  their  rieads  hanging, 
ashamed  or  resentful,  I  called  them  back  and, 
speaking  to  the  one  who  seemed  to  be  the  leader, 
and  the  worst  man  in  the  bunch,  I  said : '  How  long 
have  you  worked  for  us  ? ' 

"  '  Nine  years.' 

" '  Do  you  want  to  keep  on  working  for  us  ? ' 

"  The  man  caught  my  hand  and  said,  '  Me  no 
good  English,  me  no  good  man ;  me  gotta  wife  and 
hungry  children;  wanta  work  for  bos.s,  and  God 
strike  me  dead  if  me  strike  against  boss! ' 

"  They  all  went  back  to  work,  and  now  if  they 
have  a  grievance,  they  come  to  the  boss,  who  be- 
lieves in  the  remedy." 

Yes,  I  should  have  lost  faith  in  the  remedy  long 
ago,  had  it  not  been  that  I  have  never  seen  it  fail 
where  once  it  has  been  tried.     I  know  there  are 


:^u\.r^t-L- 


■V  -V. 


r': 


THE  LOWER  TOWN  PARSONAGE      287 

difficulties  in  the  way.  I  have  an  inkhng  of  the 
value  of  bonds  and  stocks  and  dividends.  I  know 
something  of  the  suUenness  of  masses  and  the 
ferocity  of  radical  leaders;  but  I  also  know  some- 
thing of  the  value  of  men  and  the  quality  of  the 
heart  and  mind  o:  the  workers. 

If  we  have  civil  war  in  our  midst,  and  horrors 
which  rival  the  Commune;  if  we  have  a  tenseness 
of  feeling  and  a  bitterness  of  spirit  which  cry  for 
vengeance;  if  the  state  falls  back  upon  guns,  and 
industry  upon  gunmen;  if  law  and  order  are  swal- 
lowed by  the  chaos  of  bloodshed  and  lawlessness, 
it  is  because  the  men  who  have  power  in  the 
shape  of  capital  have  had  no  faith  in  that  power 
whose  symbol  is  the  cross. 

I  have  almost  envied  the  men  who  lead  the 
masses  and  preach  a  fierce  revolution;  who  cry 
out  the  day  of  vengeance,  the  awful  day  of  the 
Lord.  I  know  I  might  have  stood  exactly  where 
they  are,  if  not  behind  prison  bars,  or  in  the 
shadow  of  the  gibbet,  had  I  not  come  under  the 
spell  of  the  Christ. 

Yet  I  do  not  wish  to  be  lamed  by  him.  or  tamed ; 
I  do  not  wish  to  truckle  to  the  masters,  I  never 
shall.  I  do  believe  that  the  Christ's  love  is  more 
powerful  than  hate.  I  believe  in  the  pierced  nand, 
the  wounded  side  and  the  sacrificial  blood;  but  if 
I  am  sheltered  in  a  false  security,  if  it  is  all  merely 


288  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

to  save  me  and  mine — above  all,  if  it  separates  me 
from  those  who  cry  out  against  their  taskmasters, 
then  I  want  to  take  my  stand  with  them  and  be 
doomed  in  their  doom,  if  thus  it  must  be. 

We  all  su  fcred  from  the  strike  in  Lower  Town, 
the  butcher,  the  baker  and  the  sermon  maker — it 
was  right  we  should.     We,  in  the  parsonage,  suf- 
fered the  least ;  for  we  had  hosts  of  friends.    Our 
physician.  Dr.  L.  M.  Bencpc,  although  belonging 
to  another  denomination,  never  would  accept  any 
remuneration  for  his  many  services  to  us.    He  and 
his  wife,  a  woman  of  rare  strength  and  beauty  of 
character,    have    remained    our    valued    friends 
through    all    the    years.      Another    friend    was 
Hastings   H.  Hart,  then  a  resident  of  that  city. 
God  did  his  best  in  making  him.     We  always 
suspected  him  of  sending  the  big  box  of  good  things 
which  came  anonymously  one  day,  when  times  were 
hardest.     Our  hearts  go  out  in  gratitude  to  Rev. 
R.  P.  Herrick  and  his  noble  wife.    Their  hospi- 
table home  was  always  open  to  us.    And  yet,  in 
spite  of  strikes  and  hard  times  and  harder  work, 
we  spent  four  very  happy  years  in  the  Lower  Town 
parsonage;  not  the  least  cause  of  our  happiness 
being,  that  there,  one  bright  October  Sunday  morn- 
ing, our  first  baby  and  only  daughter  came  to  us, 
just  as  the  church  bells  rang  for  scr\'ice. 

It  was  not  a  cal!  to  a  larger  work  which  took 


mmmmi,^.!^^^ 


THE  LOWER  TOWN  PARSONA(.E     289 

us  from  the  Lower  Town  church.  I  was  not  even 
sure  that  the  Lord  was  in  any  way  conccrntd  with 
our  going.  It  was  a  perfectly  niunJane  and  ma- 
terialistic pressure,  which  intlucnced  us  in  consider- 
ing the  call  extended  me  by  a  church  in  0!iio. 

One  evening  I  brought  my  deacons  together.  I 
wish  I  could  have  preserved  the  atmosphere  of  that 
meeting.  We  prayed  together,  really  honest  pray- 
ers. I  did  want  to  stay,  and  I  think  they  wanted  me 
to;  but  when  I  presented  to  them  my  problems,  they 
realized  that  staying  was  impossible.  When  I  think 
myself  back  into  that  company  of  saints,  I  know  I 
never  knelt  among  better  men;  never  since  has 
prayer  been  so  real  and  the  Divine  Presence  so 
manifest.  Looking  back  over  my  life,  I  some- 
times think  I  should  have  stayed  in  the  Lower 
Town  church,  even  if  staying  did  seem  hopeless; 
for  It  was  the  biggest  job  I  ever  had,  and  the  one 
in  which  I  was  always  sure  that  I  earned  my  salary. 

A  short  time  ago  I  spoke  at  one  of  the  Ford  Hall 
meetings  in  Boston.  The  room  was  crowded,  as  it 
always  is,  by  an  eager  mass  of  humanity.  As  I  sat 
on  the  platform  watching  those  thousands,  so  ani- 
mated by  one  high  purpose  that  they  looked  like  one 
individual,  two  notes  were  handed  me.  Both  were 
from  members  of  the  Lower  Town  church  during 
my  pastorate,  and  both  asked  to  see  me  at  the  close 
of  the  service. 


iS90 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


I  was  to  speak  on  a  variation  of  my  theme  of 
Brotherhood.  During  the  address,  I  felt  my  two 
friends  in  the  audience;  for  they  were  the  wit- 
nesses. I  knew  I  must  not  preach  anything  I  had 
not  tried  to  practise,  for  they  had  known  me  dur- 
ing that  perio<'  of  my  life  when  I  began  trying  to 
be  a  brother  to  all  men.  Much  that  I  said  then, 
upon  that  great  theme,  and  much  that  I  have  said 
since,  I  learned  in  the  Lower  Town  church  where 
there  was  a  true  brotherhood.  Although  we  were 
racially  and  culturally  far  apart,  we  were  one  in 
Christ  Jesus,  in  whom  we  had  the  same  culture,  the 
culture  of  the  cross,  and  the  same  inheritance,  the 
hope  of  heaven. 

There  were  many  kind  things  said  to  me  at  the 
close  of  that  wearing  address  in  Ford  Hall,  many 
things  which  I  think  were  meant ;  but  when  she  who 
had  been  Susan  Crotty  came,  and  reminded  me  of 
the  fact  that  she  was  once  ir  my  Sunday  school, 
ihat  I  married  her  to  John  Anderson,  that  I  was 
as  good  as  my  word  and  had  been  a  brother  to 
them  in  those  Lower  Town  days,  I  was  most  hum- 
bly grateful.  She  had  scarcely  left  me,  her  dark 
eyes  full  of  tears,  when  a  tall,  red-haired  young 
man  appeared,  saying,  as  he  wrung  my  hand :  "  You 
preached  a  sermon  just  like  that  in  the  Lower  Town 
church.  It  was  a  frightfully  stormy  Sunday,  a 
regular  blizzard;  there  were  just  three  people  in 


THE  LOWER  TOWN  PARSONAGE      291 

your  congregation:  Deacon  Nicoll,  his  boy  George 
and  myself."  I  wanted  to  know  who  "  myself  " 
was.  "  Oh,"  he  replied,  "  I  was  that  red-haired, 
speckled  Irish  kid,  that  clung  to  you  like  a  burr. 
Say,  you  were  a  brother  to  me,  all  right  enough !  " 

Then  before  I  could  ask  more  about  him,  he  was 
pushed  aside  by  the  passing  throng. 

After  all,  it  may  have  been  more  worth  while 
to  preach  to  three  people  in  the  Lower  Town  church 
than  to  three  thousand  in  Ford  Hall — who  knows  ? 


XXVIII 

THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  THREE 
PROBLEMS 

IN  my  new  parish,  I  was  faced  by  three  prob- 
lems, each  one  of  them  big  enough  to  make 
my  task   formidable.     They  were :  the  Race 
Problem,  (he  Higher  Criticism  and  the  Social  Em- 
phasis of  the  Gospel. 

It  seemed  to  me  that  almost  all  the  people  I  met 
on  the  street  were  coloured,  and  looking  from  my 
study  into  the  alley.  I  saw  them  sunning  them- 
selves on  the  sloping  roofs  of  their  shanties  or 
lolling  about  in  most  leisurely  fashion,  wherever 
they  found  a  prop  against  which  to  lean.  The  old 
mammies  with  their  woolly  heads  tied  in  gorgeous 
bandannas,  were  there,  doing  the  "  white  folks'  " 
washings ;  while  numerous  little  pickanninies,  all 
unconscious  of  the  fact  that  they  were  born  into  an 
unwelcoming  world,  played  in  the  gutters.  It  was 
a  glimpse  into  a  bit  of  American  Africa,  which 
housed  nearly  a  third  of  the  city's  population;  but 
it  looked  twice  as  large  as  it  was.  because  the  unlike 
always  look  numerous  and  race  problems  are  in- 
tensified by  that  fact. 

299 


CHL'Kl  H  OF  THE  THREE  PROBLEMS    293 

"  Shanty  Town."  where  the  coloured  population 
liverl.  was  squeezed  into  the  alleys  wliere  the 
vvhite  citizens  swept  their  refuse,  thus  maintaining 
for  themselves  a  respectable  front.  It  was  pic- 
turesque enouRh,  and  had  1  been  an  artist.  I  should 
have  delighted  in  its  be-turbancd  washerwomen,  its 
sturtiy  loafers  and  its  cunninjj  pickaninnies.  Being 
a  pa.^tor.  I  saw  the  unpicturesque  dirt,  the  houses 
(;f  prostitution,  the  gambling  dens  and  the  vicious 
dance  halls  which  were  pushed  into  those  alleys;  so 
that  we  superior  white  people  might  have  a  chance 
to  thank  God  for  our  clean  city,  and  that  wc  were 
not  as  this  inferior  race. 

It  was  my  first  contact  with  the  Negro  as  the 
white  man's  neighbour.  That  he  was  a  back-door 
neighbour,  of  course  made  a  great  difference;  but 
gave  me  a  chance  to  observe  him  at  close  range 
and  study  his  artless,  childlike,  stupidly  happy 
ways.  Of  course  many  people  kept  Negro  serv- 
ants. We  had  one  of  them  in  our  household. 
Dear  old  "  Aunt  Sarah  " !  A  relic  of  slavery  days, 
the  incarnation  of  faithfulness,  she  will  be  one  of 
the  white  souls  I  shall  find  in  heaven.  She  had  been 
a  wife,  but  knew  nothing  of  her  husband ;  a  mother, 
and  her  children  were  taken  from  her.  She  was  all 
alone  in  her  old  age.  unresentful.  patient  and  sweet ; 
blessing  those  who  had  despitefully  used  her.  If 
she  was  at  all  typical  of   Negro  women,   or  if 


H9* 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


tlicre  are  or  were  numbers  of  such  women 
among  them,  then  the  Lord  have  mercy  upon 
us  for  having  done  no  better  by  these  people 
than  \vc  did. 

I  knew  of  them,  at  first,  as  loafers,  thieves  and 
prostitutes,  a  horrible  outer  fringe  of  the  city's  life; 
but  I  also  learned  to  know  them  and  respect  them 
in  their  homes,  their  churches  and  their  lodges. 
Out  of  that  neighbourliness  grew  such  a  sense  of 
responsibility  that  I  regarded  them  as  belonging  to 
my  parish,  and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  they  were 
not  the  only  black  sheep  of  my  flock. 

My  owri  history,  with  its  struggle  against  the 
limitations  of  race,  fitted  me  in  no  small  degree  for 
this  interesting  and  rewarding  task.  The  richest 
bit  of  wisdom  I  ever  heard  upon  that  point  came 
from  the  lips  of  a  coloured  man,  who  said  to  me, 
"  Parson,  the  only  way  to  get  fellowship  is  to  be 
the  fellow  in  the  same  ship,  and  I  reckon  that's 
what  you  are."  I  am  very  fond  of  quoting  this 
bon  mot. 

I  never  commiserated  the  Negroes.  On  the  con- 
trary, I  tried  to  make  them  joy  in  being  black. 
They  honoured  me  each  year  by  asking  me  to  be 
their  orator  at  the  celebration  of  Emancipation 
Day,  and  it  was  not  difficult  for  me  to  strike  the 
right  note  and  make  the  proper  appeal.  Many  a 
time  did  I  shame  some  of  my  auditors  and  win  an 


CHURCH  OF  THE  THREE  PROBLEMS    HOr, 

approving  laugh  by  c^i('ing  them  for  imitating  the 
poor  ways  of  us  poor  whites. 

I  have  no  means  of  knowing  how  many  of  those 
of  us  who  called  ourselves  Christians  felt  any 
responsibility  for  these  black.  back-dr>or  neigh- 
bours— very  few.  I  fear.  I  do  know  fairly 
well  that  there  were  many  white  people,  the 
husbands  and  sons  of  my  front-door  neigh- 
bours, who  went  in  and  out  among  them, 
carrying  corruption. 

I  know  that  at  election  time  the  coloured  man 
was  flattered  and  bribed,  to  help  maintain  dishonest 
courts,  venal  judges  and  a  purchasable  police.  I 
also  know  that  the  entire  community  reaped  a 
harvest  of  riots,  lynchings,  destruction  of  property 
and  disruption  of  peaceful  relations. 

One  night  a  black  ,,coundrel  resisted  arrest  ^y  a 
white  officer  and  killed  him.  The  result  was  a 
bloody  race  war,  which  still  sends  a  thrill  of  hor- 
ror through  those  who  remember  it.  Had  I  been 
there  when  it  happened.  I  fear  I  should  have  been 
in  the  thick  of  it  and  have  pleaded  the  cause  of  the 
black  man.  If  the  mob  had  listened  to  me,  I  would 
have  pointed  out  the  real  criminals  among  them,  the 
guilty  white  men  who  deserved  the  terrible  end  of 
their  victim.  Doubtless  it  would  have  been  use- 
less; but  I  frequently  think  that  I  should  have  liked 
the  opportunity  to  prove  my  faith  in  the  human, 


296 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


by  sonic  such  daring  deed,  and  then  take  the  con- 
sequtnccs. 

If  the  animosity  between  the  races  had  not  beeu 
so  great,  or  if  men's  minds  had  not  been  so  clouded 
by  prejudice,  that  rational  thinking  for  most  of 
them  seemed  impossible,  the  community  would  have 
appointed  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer;  for  at  the 
bottom  of  the  black  man's  wickedness  lay  the  white 
man's  vices  of  lust  and  greed. 

One  of  the  city's  judges  who  came  in  direct  con- 
tact with  the  small  misdemeanours  of  the  blacks, 
was  a  man  who  led  a  brazenly  immoral  life;  yet  he 
was  elected  again  and  again  to  that  responsible 
office  by  his  irresponsible,  white  constituents.  The 
trail  of  corruption  led  to  the  higher  courts,  anrl  then 
into  so  many  channels  that,  tracing  them,  one  grew 
bewildered  and  discouraged. 

My  own  people  were  patient  with  me,  and  loyal 
to  mc,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  in  my  zeal  I  took 
many  a  misstep  which  descn-ed  their  censure. 
Quite  natura'ly  they  did  not  all  rejoice  over  the 
few  black  men  anrl  women  who  came  on  Snnc'  ;s 
to  hear  inc  preach,  and  the  pew^  in  which  tiiey  sat 
was  as  safe  from  invasion  as  if  it  had  Ix-en  (juar- 
antined  for  smallpox.  I  understood  their  feeling 
and  sympathized  with  them;  for  I  appreciate  the 
fact  that  race  averrion,  whatever  its  basis,  is  real 
to  o'Ikts,  however  little  of  it  I  mav  feel. 


CHLHCH  OF  THE  THREE  PROBLEMS    297 

Not  only  diJ  Xcgroes  come  to  my  church  serv- 
ices— Jews  also  came.  The  memlx^rs  of  one  family 
quite  tilled  a  pew,  regularly,  every  Sunday.  There 
was  nothing  offensive  about  them.  They  were  not 
strikingly  different  from  the  rest  of  t'lc  congrega- 
tion in  features,  dress  or  beliaviour;  indeed,  they 
were  a  superior  group.  If  a  great  modern  artist 
had  seen  tlieni,  he  might  ha\e  used  them  as  models 
to  group  around  the  Christ  Child.  Even  as  it  was, 
it  would  have  been  no  sacrilege  to  have  called  them 
a  Holy  Faindy. 

The  father  had  a  peculiarly  gentle,  Jewish  face 
unmarred  by  shre  sdness;  the  motlier's  face  was 
placid  and  sweet ;  while  the  children  were  promising 
Americans,  who,  to-day,  occupy  leading  positions  in 
the  hie  of  that  community. 

They  came  to  church  because  my  gospel  ap- 
pealed to  them.  They  were  hungry,  as  I  had  been, 
for  human  fellowship,  sanctified  by  religion.  Yet 
their  presence  provoked  criticism,  and  they  re- 
mained as  isolated  as  the  Negroes;  until  finally 
they  ceased  to  come. 

The  other  two  problems  in  this  church  did  not 
seriously  vex  my  soul :  although  it  was  a  trying 
ordeal  through  which  I  i  asscd.  in  common  with 
other  ministers,  who  had  to  face  the  results  of  the 
higlicr  criticism  and  the  social  interpretation  of 
the  Gospel. 


298 


FItOM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


What  greatly  helped  me  in  my  ministry  was  my 
religious  passion,  fed  by  my  own  experiences;  so 
that  the  question  of  the  autliorship  or  historicity 
of  any  portion  of  t!ie  Bible  did  not  affect  my  preach- 
ing. While  I  could  not,  and  did  not,  care  to  escape 
the  proven  results  of  the  scientific  study  of  the 
Scriptures,  my  faith  rested  on  no  external  au- 
thority, and  that  enabled  me  unwaveringly  to 
preach  a  Gospel  which  is  ageless  and  changeless.  I 
also  have  a  high  degree  of  reverence  for  old  people. 
I  realize  how  tenaciously  they  cling  to  that  which 
has  been  the  truth  to  tiiem,  all  their  lives,  and  I  was 
never  tempted  to  ruthlessly  assail  their  faith.  In- 
deed, it  never  seemed  to  me  that  a  composite  Penta- 
teuch or  the  two  Isaiahs  had  arv  bearmg  upon  the 
truth  I  tried  to  convey. 

The  social  emphasis,  while  never  lacking  in  my 
preaching,  was  never  one-sided.  I  saw  then  and 
still  see,  the  need  of  the  regeneration  of  the  indi- 
vidual. I  never  believed  that  clean  sewers  meant, 
necessarily,  clean  hearts,  that  better  wages  would 
always  give  us  better  men;  but  I  did  believe  in 
harmonizing  the  two,  and  faithfully  I  preached  the 
whole  Gospel  to  the  whole  man  and  to  the  whole 
community. 

Here,  as  in  my  previous  churches,  and  in  spite  of 
an  earnest  desire  to  do  right,  I  made  grievous  mis- 
takes.   I  fear  that  to<j  often  my  sermons  were  pre- 


CHURCH  OF  1  HE  THREE  PROBLEMS  299 

pared  primarily  to  draw  crowds,  and  were  some- 
times in  danger  of  becoming  tainted  by  an  unwhole- 
some sensationalism.  Some  of  them  were  diffuse, 
and  I  trust  I  shall  not  be  called  in  judgment  for 
every  idle  word  I  have  spoken.  One  virtue  I  dare 
claim  for  my  preaching,  its  fearlessness;  but  even 
that  not  infrequently  would  have  had  better  re- 
sults, had  I  displayed  less  zeal  and  more  wisdom. 

I  regret  that  I  often  permitted  myself  to  be 
drawn  into  uttering  protests  against  the  conven- 
tional shortcomings  of  society,  and  that  I  did  not 
more  searchingly  probe  its  real  sores. 

The  churches  of  that  city  were  divided,  not  so 
much  by  religious  convictions  as  by  social  distinc- 
tions; the  ministers,  a  royal  group  of  men,  met 
each  Monday,  but  we  spent  too  much  of  our  time 
bemoaning  the  surface  ills  of  our  flocks  and  A 
the  town.  Out  of  those  ministers'  meetings  came 
great  good  fellowship,  but  not  much  else. 

It  was  during  this  pastorate  that  there  came  to 
me  a  realization  of  the  limitations  which  hamper 
the  work  of  the  Church,  and  I  chafed  under  it. 

I  think  I  know  almost  the  exact  moment  when 
my  first  great  passion  seemed  spent,  when  I  ceased 
to  be,  with  all  my  heart  and  soul,  the  minister  of 
my  own  church,  and  became  something  more ;  yet 
something  less.  I  began  to  write,  and  rejoiced  to 
find  another  channel  of  expression. 


300 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


I  went  to  Europe  in  my  modest,  steerage  way, 
and  spent  glorious  mountain-top  days  with  tiie 
great  spirits  then  dominating  the  literary  horizon 
of  the  Old  World. 

I  had  a  wonderful  day  with  Maurice  Jokai,  the 
Hungarian  novelist,  then  pust  his  period  oi  great- 
est productiveness;  a  tiery,  romantic  genius,  the 
Walter  Scoti  of  his  country. 

With  Maurice  Maeterlinck  I  travelled  to  Ant- 
werp and  Ghent,  and  later  spent  a  few  hours  on 
the  roof-garden  of  his  home  in  Paris,  watching 
with  him  the  bees,  whose  biography  he  was  then 
writing  in  his  matchless,  mystic  way. 

i  sought  uut  Gerhart  Hauptmann.  and  translated 
into  English  his  "  Hannele's  Dream."  that  ex- 
quisite story  in  which  llesh  and  spirit  are  woven 
around  the  Christ. 

1  visited  Hermann  Sudermann  and.  seated  in  his 
box  in  the  Deutsche  Theater  in  Berlin,  heard  one 
of  his  plays  rendered.  It  was  a  distinctly  artistic 
and  religious  experience,  for  it  was  his  John  the 
Baptist,  that  mighty  bit  of  realism  portraying  the 
New  Testament  hero. 

In  friendliest  intercourse  I  met  that  leonine 
iconoclast,  Max  Xordau.  and  watched  the  awaken- 
ing of  Jewish  nationalism  from  the  splendid  van- 
tage ground  of  personal  and  intimate  acquaintance 


CHURCH  OF  THE  THREE  PROBLEMS    301 


with  Theodore  Ilerzl,  the  founder  of  modern  Zion- 
ism. 

Two  trips  through  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  Slavic  world,  revived  my  early  love  of  the 
language  and  literature  of  those  great  people,  the 
Slavs. 

Best  of  all,  I  paid  an  annual  visit  to  Tolstoy,  re- 
kindling at  the  tlanie  of  his  life  my  passion  for 
tile  Kingdom  of  God. 

Returning  from  these  trips,  I  incorporated  my 
observations  and  experiences  into  my  preaching,  en- 
riching it  and  weakening  it  at  tlie  same  time. 

Besides  the  social  intercourse  with  my  own  peo- 
ple, I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  be  drawn  into  a  group 
of  like-minded  men  of  high  ideals,  and  the  bond 
of  friendship  then  created  has  never  been  broken. 

I  had  gained  the  esteem  and  interest  of  the  com- 
munity and  regained  a  world-wide  outlook ;  but 
I  had  lost  my  church,  or  rather,  the  church  had 
lost  me. 

Looking  back  and  trying  honestly  to  interpret 
that  period.  I  feel  that  I  would  have  remained  an 
ardent,  if  not  a  great  preacher,  and  could  have 
created  a  broad  and  useful  church  by  drawing  to 
it  the  halt,  the  maimed  and  the  blind,  men  of  all 
colours  and  creeds;  but  the  church  was  not  ready 
for  so  heterogeneous  a  membership.  For  which  I 
cannot    blame    that    oarticular    church.     On    the 


M 


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FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


whole,  it  was,  if  anything,  more  Christian  than 
the  other  churches  in  that  place,  and  less  given 
over  to  worldly  pride;  yet  it  was  only  a  Congre- 
gational church  into  which  a  few  people  of  a  cer- 
tain type  fitted,  socially  and  ecclesiastically. 

I  blame  myself  and  not  my  church.  I  should 
have  made  as  unsatisfactory  a  rabbi  as  I  was  a 
Protestant  pastor;  for  in  my  case  the  two  positions 
would  have  been  almost  identical.  The  activity 
of  the  one  would  have  been  bounded  by  race  only ; 
the  activity  of  the  other  was  limited  by  race  and 
by  the  bank  accounts  of  my  flock  and  their  re- 
sultant social  standing. 

One  Sunday  in  the  early  fall,  a  group  of  stran- 
gers faithfully  attended  all  the  church  services. 
They  were  members  of  a  church  committee  looking 
for  a  pastor.  After  the  evening  service  they  offered 
me  a  parish  in  which  more  fish  were  caught,  more 
beer  brewed,  more  wine  fennented  and  more  souls 
lost  annually,  than  in  any  other  town  in  the  state. 
Within  two  weeks  I  had  accepted  what  proved  to  be 
my  last  pastorate. 


XXIX 


THE  MAGIC  WATCH 

I  HAD  spent  four  years  in  my  last  pastorate 
and  had  preached  my  final  if  not  my  farewell 
sermon.  I  have  never  been  guilty  of  making 
the  close  of  a  pastorate  the  occasion  for  a  last 
scolding,  or  a  recapitulation  of  my  achievements; 
neither  have  I  knowingly  caused  the  tender-hearted 
to  weep.  On  that  particular  Sunday  I  brought  a 
simple  message,  whose  text  and  subject  I  do  not 
remember. 

Yet  I  could  not  wholly  conceal  the  sadness  I  felt. 
It  was  an  efTort  to  speak,  and  although  there  was 
a  smile  in  my  eyes,  it  only  veiled  the  tears. 

There  was  the  usual  Sunday  evening  congrega- 
tion; if  anything  somewhat  smaller,  for  •'.  vas  a 
stormy  night,  and  the  curious  did  not  know  that 
my  work  there  was  at  an  end.  I  had  purposely 
withheld  this  information  from  the  newspapers, 
because  I  felt  that  the  day  would  be  difficult 
enough,  without  any  formal  leave-takings. 

In  the  front  pew  sat  a  fisherman  and  his  family; 

with  him  I  had  faced  the  storms  of  the  lake  and  the 

fiercer  storms  of  his  matrimonial  sea. 

808 


304 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


Gentle  as  a  lamb  vvlien  .sober,  he  was  a  fiend 
when  drunk,  and  inr  weeks  after  liis  periodic  spree, 
I  had  to  be  at  Iiis  Iionic  every  day  witli  prayer  and 
entreaty,  to  keep  the  family  from  disruption. 
Tw  ice  the  lawyers  were  about  to  file  the  papers  for 
a  divorce  case,  and  each  time  I  linked  husband  and 
wife  together.  With  every  recurring  rupture,  how- 
ever, I  felt  a  little  less  sure  that  I  was  doing  right 
in  saving  the  wreck. 

Many  lonely  women  were  there,  worse  than 
widowed,  who  knew  all  too  well  the  tragedy  of 
married  lif  ,  as  staged  by  King  Alcohol. 

In  the  congregation  I  saw  mothers,  whose  chil- 
dren had  suffered  for  want  of  food,  clothing  and 
even  medicine.  l>ecause  the  fathers  suffered 
from  the  town's  chief  industry — that  of  making 
drunkards  out  of  men. 

It  had  a  good  many  more  than  a  hundred 
saloons  to  its  population  of  twenty  thousand  and 
they  all  worked  overtime  at  the  job. 

Children  were  always  in  my  church  in  large  num- 
bers, and  they  were  all  loyal  to  me — what  is  still 
better,  they  were  loyal  to  the  end. 

Near  the  pulpit  sat  an  old  man,  gentle  anri  sweet ; 
but  as  he  dealt  in  the  most  malodorous  hides,  the 
scent  of  which  pernieated  his  clothing,  lie  usually 
occupied  his  pew  alone.  What  made  him  particu- 
larly offensive  to  the  sensitive  nostrils  of  tht  church 


THE  MAGIC  WATCH 


805 


was,  iliat  he  stocfl  by  the  door  at  every  meeting, 
extending  in  welcome  a  most  unwelcome  hand  to 
tlie  worshippers. 

A  few  of  those  I  looked  down  upon  from  the 
pulpit  that  night  knew  ii  was  the  end  and  were 
sincerely  sorry  that  it  was  so.  With  peculiar  pleas- 
ure I  recall  a  certain  man,  zealous  in  his  re- 
ligi(jn,  even  to  the  hurt  of  his  business,  a  severe  test 
of  one's  sincerity.  His  was  one  of  the  few  fami- 
lies in  that  place  in  which  sons  were  brought  to 
maturity  without  shipwreck  to  their  characters. 
There  were  a  few  other  helpful  ones,  whose  faith- 
ful support  never  flagged  and  whose  friendship  we 
still  cherish,  and  many  liiglily  respectable  people 
who  had  been  neither  hot  nor  cold,  whose  attitude 
had  often  made  me  feel  like  echoing  the  apostolic 
sentiment,  in  describing  similar  Christians. 

There  were  three  Negroes  in  that  church  as  white 
beneath  their  skin  as  ny  one  I  ever  met.  Two 
of  them  were  the  conscientious  sexton  and  his  effi- 
cient wife;  the  third  was  a  business  man  whom 
I  knew,  not  only  as  a  parishioner,  but  as  a  true 
friend,  in  whose  company  I  delighted. 

The  rest  of  that  Sunday  night  congregation  was 
a  miscellaneous  group  which  came,  perhaps,  be- 
cause there  was  nothing  better  to  do. 

Usrilly  I  waited  to  shake  hands  with  the  mem- 
bers of  my  ongregation,  although  often  I  should 


806 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


have  preferred  to  run  away  and  be  alone  with  the 
reaction  which  always  comes  to  me  after  an  honest 
attempt  to  preach  the  Gospel.  That  night  as  soon 
as  I  pnjnounced  the  benediction  I  left  the  pulpit 
through  the  choir  entrance  and  groped  my  way  into 
the  dark  basement.  I  could  hear  footsteps  follow- 
ing me  and  made  an  ineffective  attempt  to  escape; 
but  when  I  could  go  no  farther,  I  turned  and  saw 
a  woman,  one  of  my  most  faitliful  members,  weep- 
ing and  holding  toward  me  a  silver-handled  um- 
brella which  she  pressed  upon  me  as  a  farewell 
gift.  Vainly  she  tried  to  express  herself — emo- 
tion overcame  her  and  she  left  me,  with  my  eyes 
full  of  tears  and  the  umbrella  in  my  hand. 

It  was  a  wonderfully  symbolic  gift,  that  um- 
brella, for  it  was  a  stormy  pastorate  from  its  be- 
ginning to  the  end ;  yet  stormy  as  it  was,  those  four 
years  were  the  best  I  had  ever  spent.  I  gave  un- 
reservedly all  I  had  to  give,  in  an  honest  attempt 
to  do  the  work  of  a  Christian  minister,  as  I  felt  it 
should  be  done.  I  think  I  gave  the  best  I  had,  or 
ever  shall  have  to  give. 

Not  only  was  it  a  stormy  pastorate  from  its  be- 
ginning; it  was  a  doomed  pastorate.  I  succeeded 
a  remarkably  popular  man  of  the  evangelistic 
type,  who  had  built  a  new  church  and  drawn  to  it 
the  greater  part  of  its  members.  They  kept  his 
memorv  ereen  through  oersonal  lovaltv.  which  was 


THE  MAGIC  WATCH 


»07 


fostered  by  his  frequent  visits  and  still  more  fre- 
quent letters,  written  to  various  friends  in  the 
church  At  that  time  I  was  guilty  of  a  grave  error 
which  I  never  committed  before  or  since.  I  tried 
to  follow  the  methods  of  my  predecessor  and 
failed,  of  course;  displeasing  those  who  wished  me 
to  be  different  and  not  gaining  the  affection  of  those 
who  believed  honestly  that  in  being  loyal  to  me  they 
would  be  disloyal  to  him.  It  is  an  old  story,  and 
most  men  in  the  ministry  have  had  similar  experi- 
ences. 

Tlie  very  first  week  of  my  pastorate  I  ran  afoul 
the  Ladies'  Aid  Society,  which  had  staged  a  play 
to  be  given  in  the  basement  of  the  church.  It  par- 
ticularly offended  me  because  it  was  coarse  in  spots, 
and  at  the  best  in  bad  taste.  One  lady  asked  my 
opinion  of  it.  I  answered  her  truthfully,  and  be- 
fore the  day  was  over,  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society  was 
militant — very. 

If  I  had  followed  my  impulse  I  would  have  re- 
signed on  the  spot.  While  the  storm  blew  over,  it 
never  quite  subsided,  for  the  ardent  managers  of 
that  particular  affair  never  forgave  me. 

This  and  similar  matters  were  all  trivial  things, 
and  my  pastorate  might  have  ended  as  most  pas- 
torates end,  with  a  providential  call  to  a  larger 
field,  had  not  other  and  more  acute  difficulties 
arisen. 


908 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  (  ITIZEN 


The  city  in  which  that  church  was  situated  was 
like  one  of  those  retarded  children  wliicli  grow  old, 
but  never  grow  up ;  which  is  taken  from  one  special- 
ist to  the  other,  witli  the  uhiniate  verdict  that  t-.c 
child  ought  to  get  a  start  and  grow,  but  that  it  never 
will. 

The  place  had  all  those  advantages  of  which 
American  cities  love  to  boast.  Five  railroads,  a 
splendid  harbour  and  easy  access  to  raw  material. 
It  boosted  and  boasted,  yet  its  factories  did  not 
flourish,  and  its  harbjur  attracted  no  fleet. 

Its  populaticju  was  made  up  of  shrewd  Connecti- 
cut Yankees,  reinforceil  by  industrious,  if  not 
always  (iod- fearing.  Germans.  Their  sons  and 
daughters  intermarried;  but  the  children  born  to 
them  lacked  vigour  and  spirit.  The  poor  rarely 
rose  above  the  level  of  the  rich,  who  dwindled, 
died  and  were  buried. 

The  occupation  of  the  original  settlers  was  fish- 
ing. Nothing  in  that  business  as  it  was  there  con- 
ducted should  tend  one  way  or  the  other  to  influence 
a  city's  character.  The  work  was  seldom  danger- 
ous, never  picturesque.  The  stupid  fish  were 
caught  in  huge  traps,  fastened  to  stakes  driven  in 
the  shallows.  At  certain  times  the  nets  were  drawn 
up,  the  fish  dropped  into  waiting  barrels  and  boxes 
and  hastily  shipped  to  their  various  markets,  as  if 


THE  MAGIC  VVATdl 


d09 


they  were  peaches  or  gra|)es.  two  other  rich  crops 
i)f  that  region. 

Gradually  a  new  husiness  developed  to  which  the 
whole  city  finally  gave  itself.  It  became  (ostensibly 
a  summer  resort,  which  before  long  was  catering 
to  the  lowest  passions  of  men  and  drawing  revenue 
from  all  its  deep  and  dirty  channels. 

Brothels  conducted  their  business  as  openly  as 
dry  goods  stores,  and  were  in  closest  pro.ximity 
to  them.  Gambling  was  not  open,  but  common, 
and  as  the  city  brewed  a  famous  beer  and  manu- 
factured champagne  and  lesser  brands  of  wine, 
the  consumption  of  liijuor  was  constantly  encour- 
aged. 

The  principal  difficulty  with  the  business  of  the 
summer  resort  was  that  it  corrupted  alike  the  na- 
tives and  the  strangers;  for  while  those  from  the 
outside  came  for  an  occasional  spree,  we  residents 
had  the  whole  machinery  of  evil  with  us  seven  days 
a  week. 

Sons  and  daughters,  husbands  and  even  wives 
became  its  steady  and  remunerative  patrons.  The 
whole  city  was  contaminated  by  it,  for  the  enter- 
prise was  a  stock  company,  and  its  stock  was 
widely  and  wisely  distributed. 

I  was  told  repeatedly  that  I  might  stay  with  my 
church  to  a  good  old  age  if  I  left  the  sakxm  alone. 
I  was  perfectly  willing  to  do  that,  had  the  saloon 


310 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


left  me  alone.  Its  mean,  crafty,  deadly  influence 
was  everywhere;  not  only  in  the  drink  it  dispensed 
— that  might  have  been  the  least  of  its  brood  of 
evils.  It  buttressed  the  brothel  and  spread  poison, 
until  its  loathsome  touch  fell  upon  the  mothers  and 
the  children.  It  corrupted  the  family,  weakened 
legitimate  business  and  even  reached  into  the 
cliurch,  ready  to  throttle  its  spirit. 

The  cheapest,  easiest  and  least  effective  method 
of  fighting  this  entrenched  power,  which  we  called 
the  saloon,  for  short,  was  to  attack  it  from  the  pul- 
pit; but  having  by  that  time  learned  something 
from  experience,  I  avoided  such  a  blunder,  and  the 
battle  was  begun  in  a  very  indirect  way.  I  invited 
twenty  men.  representing  various  callings,  to  meet 
at  my  own  home.  They  came,  and  we  organized 
a  literary  society,  which,  I  think,  survives  to  this 
day.  « 

It  was  the  first  time  that  the  leading  men  of  that 
city  had  come  together  for  some  idealistic  purpose. 
My  object  was  to  create  a  feeling  of  unity  and  help 
develop  in  those  men  a  healthy,  civic  spirit  which 
at  that  time  was  entirely  lacking. 

Into  the  group  came  the  editor  of  one  of  the 
daily  newspapers,  a  man  feared  by  every  one  for 
his  incisive  editorials  and  the  bitterness  and  relent- 
lessness  of  his  attacks.  He  had  a  bulldog  tenacity 
of  purpose,  yet  with  it  a  generosity  and  a  geniality 


THE  MAGIC  WATCH  811 

of  which  few  people  knew,  hidden  and  soured  as 
were  those  qualities  by  the  atmosphere  in  which  he 
lived  and  worked. 

After  one  of  the  meetings  of  the  society  I  walked 
with  him  to  his  home  and  spoke  to  him  about  the 
things  which  burdened  my  heart,  pressing  upon 
him  much  of  the  responsibility  for  the  city's  pitiable 
plight. 

We  paced  the  street  until  one  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  the  next  day  the  city  was  startled  by  a 
broadside  editorial  attack  in  that  man's  paper  upon 
its  business,  its  life  and  its  spirit. 

True  to  his  nature,  he  continued  the  attack  more 
bitterly  each  day  until  finally  a  small  group  of  men. 
under  his  influence,  gathered  together  and  we  began 
legal  proceedings  in  which,  although  balked  and 
hindered,  we  were  finally  victorious. 

That  is.  -.ve  succeeded  in  separating  our  evils. 
The  brothel  and  the  saloon  were  compelled  to  part 
company,  the  worst  and  most  openly  offensive  re- 
sorts were  closed  and  outwardly,  at  least,  we  be- 
came decent. 

I  soon  discovered  that  this  paltry  victory  was 
gained  at  great  cost.  The  barrel  makers,  the  lum- 
Ix-r  dealers,  the  insurance  men,  even  the  dry  goods 
mercliants,  the  cigar  makers,  the  grocers  and  the 
butchers  all  seemed  to  suffer  because  a  dangerous 
business  had  been  checked.     Quite  naturally  the 


sn 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


minister  too  was  affected  and  that  in  many  a  small 
and  cruel  way. 

The  fact  that  the  church  treasury  hecanie  de- 
pleted did  not  worry  ine  greatly:  but  that  those 
whom  I  considered  good  friends  turned  against  me, 
an(i  their  \v'ives  and  children  passed  me  coldly  by, 
did  hurt  deeply. 

One  offence  leads  to  another.  One  Sunday  even- 
ing I  preached  to  the  crowds  at  the  boat  landing. 
Truth  compels  me  to  acknowledge  that  the  settmg 
w.is  not  highly  ecclesiastical.  A  grocer's  wagon  was 
my  pulpit,  and  a  few  zealous  youths  .served  as  the 
choir,  accompanied  by  a  baby  organ — rightly 
named,  if  judged  by  the  sounds  ii  em.itted. 

My  congregation  was  the  surging  mob,  waiting 
for  the  train  on  which  to  return  honje  after  its 
Sunday's  pleasure.  There  I  preached  the  Gospel, 
and  that  too  gave  cause  for  offence  to  many  re- 
spectable sheep  of  my  flock. 

Another  faux  pas  of  which  I  was  guilty  was  my 
attempt  to  maintain  the  spirit  of  fellow.ship  among 
the  workmen  of  the  city  by  labouring  with  them. 

One  winter  for  a  week  I  worked  in  every  indus- 
try, except  the  brewery  and  the  distillery.  It  was 
an  exhilarating  task,  as  well  as  an  arduous  one. 
for  my  softening  muscle  and  flagging  spirit.  At 
six  o'clock  each  morning,  with  my  dinner  basket 
which  the  "  good  wife  "  had  packed  for  me,  I  went 


THE  MAGIC  WATCH 


81S 


to  work.  At  night  after  a  refreshing  bath — 
and  I  realized  how  few  workmen  enjoy  the  luxury 
— I  attended  to  my  pastoral  duties. 

At  noon  I  gathered  the  workmen  together,  and 
at  our  luncheon  we  talked  things  over.  I  did  not 
always  talk  religion ;  I  created,  or  tried  to  create 
among  them  a  pride  in  their  job,  a  dissatisfaction 
with  doing  the  mere  mechanical  tasks  and  a  desire 
to  escape  their  "  blind  alley  "  occupations. 

I  succeeded  in  making  an  architect  out  of  a  mill- 
hand  and  a  civil  engineer  out  of  a  mule  driver.  I 
do  not  know  that  I  saved  any  souls,  but  I  saved 
some  waste  of  bodies  and  minds.  Perhaps  the  good 
Lord  will  give  me  credit  for  that,  although  my  con- 
gregation did  not. 

I  worked  one  week  in  a  veritable  hell,  where 
acids  ate  the  tissues  of  men  and  a  foul  dampness 
inflamed  their  muscles,  so  that  they  were  con- 
sumed within  five  years  if  they  stayed  "  on  the 
job." 

Only  the  toughest  undertook  it,  men  who  felt 
they  had  nothing  to  lose  and  much  to  gain  by  an 
early  death.  When  I  came  out  of  that  pit  I  made 
the  managers  uncomfortable  by  telling  my  convic- 
tions about  the  place.  It  did  not  afTcct  my  health, 
but  it  did  affect  my  hold  upon  my  congregation. 

Another  factor  which  added  to  the  storminess  of 
that  pastorate  was  that  there  the  "  Trail  of  the  Im- 


314  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

migrant  "  began  to  lure  me  with  a  power  which 
was  diffirult  to  resist. 

The  islands  near  the  city  were  rich  in  limestone 
and  were  slowly  being  blasted  away  and  ground 
mto  cement.  The  men  who  cam.e  to  do  the  dirty 
and  dangerous  work  were  Slavs,  those  sullen,  silent 
men  with  whom  I  feel  a  strange  kinship.  They 
were  neglected  and  exploited,  and  I  took  one  Sun- 
day evening  to  talk  about  the  Immigrant  Prob- 
lem—my  first  definite  message  upon  that  sub- 
ject. 

The  next  morning  I  was  told  by  one  of  my  trus- 
tees that  I  was  "  called  to  that  church  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  not  to  talk  about  those  dirty  foreigners." 

The  immigrants  were  then  coming  in  groups 
large  enough  to  attract  attention,  and  by  the  sheer 
force  of  numbers  impressed  themselves  as  a  prob- 
lem. 

I  spent  my  vacations  following  them  through 
the  steerage.  Ellis  Island,  the  mills  and  the 
mmes;  to  Pittsburgh,  Connelsvillc  and  Chicago 
The  trail  which  once  I  took  by  stem  compulsion. 
I  followed  from  i  desire  to  study  those  men.  to 
rediscover  within  them  the  values  they  possessed 
and  to  call  attention  to  the  wrongs  practised  against 
them. 

I  began  to  write  upon  the  subject,  and  each  time 
a  magazine  with  one  of  those  articles  reached  cer- 


Ea 


THE  MAGIC  WATCH 


S15 


tain  members  of  my  congregation  I  was  made  to 
feel  that  I  had  stolen  time  from  my  church. 

Possibly  they  were  right.  Perhaps  a  minister 
ought  to  do  nothing  except  preach  the  Gospel  and 
build  up  his  church;  but  to  me  the  Gospel  looked 
larger  than  the  Book  which  contained  it,  and  the 
church  had  no  local  boundary. 

My  wife  and  I  had  repeatedly  discussed  the 
situation,  which  was  growing  tense,  and  as  one  of 
our  pet  theories  had  been  that  we  would  never  re- 
main in  a  church  if  my  ministry  provoked  opposi- 
tion, I  unhesitatingly  and  unqualifiedly  resigned; 
although  we  faced  an  unknown  to-morrow. 

Our  assets  were:  Each  other,  three  children, 
aged,  respectively,  nine,  five  and  one  year,  some 
debts — and  faith  in  the  Guiding  Hand  which 
hitherto  had  led  us. 

In  December,  1902,  we  left  our  last  parish,  just 
four  years  after  coming  to  it.  In  spite  of  its 
storms,  we  look  back  upon  it  with  happy  memories. 
We  left  behind  us  many  friends  and  very  few  if  any 
enemies. 

One  of  my  great  comforts  during  times  of  dis- 
couragement while  I  was  a  pastor  was  the  friend- 
ship of  my  brother  ministers,  which,  I  am  glad  to 
say,  I  never  forfeited.  If  I  ever  felt  the  genuine 
force  of  Brotherhood  at  work,  I  felt  it  while  a 
pastor,  among  those  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  with 


316  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

whom  I  lived  in  close  fraternal  relationship  for 
twelve  years. 

I  have  never  met  more  manly  men.  truer 
friends,  more  splendid  examples  to  follow  in  doing 
the  hard  tasks  of  my  ministry  than  these  pastors; 
and  those  who  were  the  most  sincere,  the  easiest  to 
approach  and  the  readiest  to  help,  were  those  who 
had  reached  the  greatest  prominence  and  carried 
the  heaviest  burdens  and  responsibilities. 

When  I  reached  home  after  preaching  that  last 
sermon  in  my  last  parish— with  a  silk  umbrella 
m  my  hands  and  tears  in  my  eyes,  we  talked  it  all 
over  in  the  quiet  of  the  night,  wondering  whether 
it  was  worth  while;  yet  determined  to  face  the  to- 
morrow with  faith  in  the  God  who  had  never  for- 
saken us. 


A  few  years  ago  the  Christmas  mail  brought  me 
a  small  box  securely  wrapped  and  bearing  the  post- 
mark of  the  city  of  my  last  pastorate.  Opening 
it  I  found  a  beautiful  gold  watch,  sent  r.ie  by  the 
Negro  business  man  wlio  was  one  of  my  congrega- 
tion when  I  preached  that  last  sermon. 

It  is  a  wonderful  watch  !  It  not  only  keeps  good 
time— it  has  a  magic  (juality.  Whenever  I  recall 
my  last  pastorate,  with  all  its  griefs,  its  disillusions 
and  disappointments,  and  wonder  whether,  nfter 
all,  it  was  worth  while  .  .   .  this  watch,  like  Peter 


^^>m4M^-i^mm^:^_-: '  - 


THE  MAGIC  WATCH  817 

Pan's  Tinker  Bell,  ticks  the  answer:  "  Of  course 
it  was  worth  while.  Of  course  it  was  worth 
while." 

The  umbrella  I  have  forgotten — I  always  forget 
umbrellas ;  but  the  watch  I  keep  and  carry  because 
every  minute  it  says:  "Of  course  it  was  worth 
while." 


ili 


XXX 

THE  CHAIR  OF  APPLIED  CHRIS- 
TIANITY 

TO  those  of  us  who  are  involved  in  the  practi- 
cal problems  of  our  age,  it  does  not  seem 
possible  that  there  ever  was  a  time  when 
thinking  men  spent  all  their  mental  energy  upon 
the  subject  of  free  will.  Yet  one's  mind  reverts 
to  this  unsettled  question  quite  involuntarily, 
especially  when  he  sees  his  life  in  retrospect. 

Looking  back  upon  my  own,  I  realize  that  it 
was  a  planless  one.  or  if  it  was  planned  I  was 
compelled  to  live  it  almost  as  an  involuntary 
agent,  in  the  hands  of  fate  or  the  good  Providence 
or  whatever  we  choose  to  call  that  force  which 
"  shapes  our  ends."  Even  the  "  rough  hewing  " 
was  dont  by  mightier  hands  than  mine. 

When  we  left  our  last  parish,  it  seemed  as  if 
my  own  early  plans  were  to  be  realized;  for  I 
was  to  continue  my  linguistic  studies.  A  dear 
friend,  the  President  of  Oberlin  College,  had  ad- 
vised me  to  fit  myself  for  a  teaching  position.  He 
agreed  with  other  of  our  friends  that  there  were 
certain  hai.dicaps  under  which  I  laboured  as  a 

31» 


'^i'^'^^m^:^ 


UlKlSu    III:      ilKM     M-.AK.-,    I.N    l.KINM-.j.U 


"i; : 


■ir^ 


CHAIR  OP  APPLIED  CHRISTIANITY     810 

pastor,  and  that  there  were  greater  possibilities  for 
my  usefulness  in  teaching  than  in  the  ministry. 

The  execution  of  this  plan  was  made  possible  by 
a  commission  from  the  editors  of  the  Outlook  to 
write  a  life  of  Tolstoy.  They  not  only  paid  me 
a  generous  sum  in  advance;  but  treated  me  then, 
and  have  treated  me  since,  with  a  courtesy  and 
consideration  which  make  my  connection  with  that 
journal  a  constant  pleasure. 

On  December  20,  1902,  with  my  family  I  sailed 
for  Europe.  During  the  Easter  recess  I  left  the 
University  of  Berlin,  where  I  was  studying,  went 
to  St.  Petersburg  and  from  there  to  Yasnaya 
Polyana,  Tolstoy's  home,  accompanied  by  Mr. 
Pasternak,  the  Russian  artist,  and  his  talented 
wife.  We  were  to  spend  some  time  there;  he  in 
painting  pictures  for  the  book,  and  I  in  getting 
local  atmosphere  and  the  material,  which  was 
generously  put  at  my  disposal. 

While  there  I  received  a  letter  which  contained 
a  call  to  the  Chair  of  Applied  Christianity  in 
Grinnell  College,  Grinnell,  Iowa.  I  declined  the 
offer,  which  later  I  accepted  in  response  to  an 
urgent  cable  message.  I  had  no  technical  prepara- 
tion for  the  work,  nor  was  I  sure  that  I  had  a 
social  message  clearly  enough  defined  to  be  accept- 
able in  an  academic  atmosphere. 

So  again  I  dropped  iir:g~aistics  and  turned  to  the 


SiO 


FHOM  ALIKN  TO  CITIZEN 


newer  field  of  a  practical  application  of  the  teach 
ings  of  Jesus.  After  a  delightful  year  of  stud; 
I  returned  to  this  country  to  take  up  my  work  a 
Grinnell.  There  may  have  been  doubts  and  ques 
tionings  among  the  friends  of  the  College  and  ir 
the  minds  of  the  faculty  when  I  was  called  to  it 
for.  besides  being  academically  an  unknown  man 
taking  a  position  which  had  gained  justified  promi- 
nence— I  was  untrained  and  untried  in  that  field, 
However,  if  any  one  harboured  misgivings,  I  was 
never  made  conscious  of  them. 

A  number  of  causes  has  contributed  to  the 
measure  of  success  which  I  have  attained  in  my 
department.  The  radicalism  of  my  predecessor 
had,  by  the  time  I  began  my  work,  become  more 
or  less  the  accepted  doctrine  of  the  churches.  At 
least  no  one  was  startled  by  the  word  social,  as 
related  to  the  teachings  of  Jesus.  The  seed  sown 
by  the  pioneers  had  germinated  well,  and  many 
churches  were  permeated  by  the  social  spirit  of 
the  Gospel. 

I  entered  upon  my  work  without  bravado,  yet 
unafraid;  not  cautiously,  yet  not  carelessly;  with 
a  definite  idea,  but  without  dogmatism.  I  began 
teaching  the  glorious  Christian  doctrine  of  Broth- 
erhood, my  one  aim  being  to  send  my  students 
out  rightly  related  to  their  God,  their  fellowmen 
and  their  duty. 


CHAIR  OF  APPLIED  CHRISTIANITY     8«1 

My  students  trace  the  growth  of  tlie  brother 
idea  from  its  uncertain  beginnings  to  its  clearer 
enunciaiion  by  Jesus,  and  they  follow  the  deathless 
Christ  Spirit  in  its  work  through  the  ages  to  this 
day. 

I  tearh  one  religious  doctrine  with  a  scientific 
dogmatism,  and  one  scientific  doctrine  with  a  re- 
ligious zeal,  namely:  that  underneath  all  the  diflFer- 
enccs  in  races  and  classes,  humanity  is  essentially 
one. 

This  I  am  well  prepared  to  teach;  because  the 
one  thing  I  do  know  is  human  material.  I  know 
intimately  Slavs.  Jews.  Teutons.  Latins.  Africans, 
Asiatics;  and  know  that  they  all  possess  the  ele- 
ments which  make  the  true  man. 

The  task  begun  by  my  department,  that  ui 
awakening  the  churches  tf)  the  great  economic 
problems,  has  been  done,  and  with  all  its  difficulties 
and  intricacies  is  in  process  of  solution. 

My  great  aim  now  is  to  teach  intelligent  and 
religious  men  and  women  how  to  look  at  the  un- 
like to  learn  to  like  them,  how  to  break  through 
prejudice  so  that  the  emotions  are  not  conquered 
by  hate,  how  to  be  able  to  stand  in  this  conglomer- 
ate of  races  and  nationalities  which  flow  into  our 
nation  and  be  able  to  sav  without  cant :  We  the 
People.    This  path  which  I  have  marked  out  for 


32* 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


myself  is  not  an  easy  one;  yet  my  doctrines  do  not 
readily  arouse  great  opposition,  although  they  are 
most  radical  and  revolutionary. 

When  I  began  teaching  in  Grinnell  College  I 
found  in  President  Bradley  a  staunch  friend.  His 
successor,  President  Main,  as  well  as  the  members 
of  the  faculty,  have  been  most  generous  in  their 
attitude  toward  me,  and  I  have  absolute  academic 
freedom. 

The  greatest  prominence  has  come  to  my  de- 
partment through  my  activities  in  the  field  of 
Immigration.  Here  again  the  planning  was  not 
to  be  mine.  Instead  of  sitting  quietly  in  my  place 
as  I  had  expected,  instructing  a  delightful  group 
of  men  and  women — my  chair  suddenly  began 
to  revolve,  and  I  have  been  carried  from  one  end 
of  the  country  to  the  other,  investigating,  teaching, 
lecturing  and  preaching. 

The  calls  for  my  services  have  increased  until 
my  position  is  seriously  threatened,  and  I  owe  to 
the  generosity  of  the  college  authorities  my  ability 
to  do  this  more  general  work  while  maintaining  my 
place  in  the  institution. 

Into  the  discussion  of  the  economic  side  of  the 
immigration  problem  I  have  never  entered  ex- 
haustively, nor  have  I  loudlv  demanded  a  more 
liberal  immigration  policy.  I  have  tried  to  human- 
ize the  process  of  admission  to  this  country,  to 


CHAIR  OF  APPLIED  CHRISTIANITY     323 

expose  and  abolish  the  worst  abuses  of  the  steer- 
age, and  to  interpret  the  quahty  and  character  of 
the  new  immigrant  to  those  Americans  who  be- 
came hysterical  from  fear,  and  believed  that  these 
newer  people  were  Ipss  than  human. 

I  have  stood  between  the  immigrant  and  those 
who  call  him  the  "  scum  of  the  earth  "  and  blame 
him  for  all  our  social  ills,  holding  him  responsible 
for  every  supposed  evil  to  which  society  is  heir. 

I  have  also  tried  to  sliield  him  from  those  who 
would  over-idealize  him.  seeing  in  every  Greek 
a  Homer,  and  in  every  w  a  Moses  or  a  David. 
I  know  him  to  be  just  common  cl'v,  responsive 
to  kind  treatment,  crushed  sometimes  out  of  human 
semblance,  starved  out  of  his  right  to  full  nurture; 
Ignorant,  often  degraded,  irresponsible,  sometimes 
criminal,  but  a  man  still;  and  I  have  demanded, 
and  still  demand,  a  chance  for  him  to  prove  his 
worth. 

If  I  have  been  optimistic  regarding  the  future 
it  is  because  I  know  from  actual  experience  that 
this  newer  immigrant  is  just  as  worthy  a,s  those 
who  preceded  him.  I  liave  shared  his  economic 
burdens  for  many  years  and  have  seen  him  lifting 
himself  and  his  family  to  a  new  and  higher  level. 
I  have  watched  him  develop  his  downtrodden 
.'•-trength  and  his  hidden  talents.  I  have  also 
r  s,-»,e  Oi  warniiig,  i-^-i   i  nave  Known 


324.  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

him  to  become  more  and  mure  the  victim  of  our 
industrial  maladjustment,  sullering  anew  frum 
overstrain,  accidents  and  occupational  diseases. 
All  this  shows  its  effect  upon  a  pinched  and 
stunted  seccjnd  generation,  that  will  not  Ixar  its 
ills  with  tlie  Old  World  patience,  but  will  clamour 
lor  the  unpaid  wage  ot  its  parents,  which  we 
shall  have  to  pay  in  one  way  or  the  other,  even 
to  the  uttermost  farthing. 

Moreover,  from  this  second  generation,  there 
will  come  a  rapidly  growing  demand  for  a  right 
to  labour  without  the  enthrallment  of  the  whole 
man.  for  a  chance  to  live  upon  a  scale  in  harmony 
with  the  wealth  which  the  workers  have  helped  to 
cr-ate;  they  will  ask  for  this  with  the  ballot  and  if 
they  do  not  get  it,  will  take  it  by  brute  force,  and 
wreck  and  ruin  that  which  they  helped  to  establish. 

Whether  immigration  is  to  be  restricted  more, 
or  how  it  is  to  be  restricted,  is  a  serious  question; 
but  how  to  deal  justly  with  those  who  are  here  is 
a  much  more  fundamental  problem  and  its  solu- 
tion brooks  no  delay. 

I  have  insisted  that  to  solve  the  problem  we 
must  approach  it  fraternally  and  not  prejudicially. 
Upon  the  vast  army  of  workers  who  free  us  from 
hard  and  dangerous  toil  we  must  look  with  the 
respect  due  their  calling.  The  man  who  goes 
into  the  depths  of  the  mine  and  exchanges  his 


CHAIR  OF  APPLIED  CHRISTIANITY     ii2r> 


(lay  for  night,  that  \vc  may  cliangc  the  night  into 
day ;  tlie  man  who  faces  the  boihng  caldron  and 
draws  ribbons  of  lire  from  the  furnace  for  our 
safety  and  comfort;  the  man.  the  woman  and  the 
child  who  have  bent  their  backs  to  stitch  our 
clothes,  have  not  only  justified  their  existence  but 
have  made  ours  easier,  more  beautiful  and  safer. 
That  they  are  Hungarians,  Italians  or  Jews  ought 
to  make  no  difference,  for  after  all  they  are  human, 
and  this  problem  of  immigration  is  a  human  prol>- 
lem  with  far-reaching  consequences. 

I  have  been  pleading  with  voice  and  pen  and 
soul  for  an  understanding  and  brotherly  altitude 
toward  the  immigrant.  I  iiave  been  told  by  my 
critics  that  try  own  attitude  is  too  interested  for 
clear  vision ;  that  love  makes  blind.  I  do  not  refute 
that  indictment.  Love  does  make  blind;  but  pre- 
judice makes  both  blind  and  deaf, — unfortunately 
it  never  strikes  a  man  dumb.  Prejudice  stops  ears 
and  closes  eyes,  but  loosens  the  tongtie  in  a  most 
marvellous  way. 

Over  and  over  again  1  have  travelled  the  "  Trail 
of  the  Immigrant,"  from  shop  to  mill,  from  farm 
to  mine  and  back  again.  I  have  retraced  my  step.s 
to  the  villages  and  towns  of  the  Old  World, 
and  have  repeatedly  gone  over  the  self-same  path 
which  once  I  travelled  from  sheer  necessity.  I 
have  joined  my  life  to  thousand?  and  ten^  of  thmt- 


^)^ 


326 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


sands  of  these  strangers.  I  liave  helped  to  create 
groups  of  faithful  workers  and  have  endeavoured 
to  fill  them  with  the  prime  reijuisite  for  their  task 
— an  elTictive  syiupathy. 

I  have  touched  ni  the  great  throngs  the  men  and 
women  who  \oluntarily  (.r  perforce  have  become 
♦he  neighhcnirs  of  these  aliens,  and  they  have  justi- 
fied my  faith.  I  liave  not  yet  heard  an  ill  word 
spoken  of  them  !)y  those  who  know  them  best; 
their  detractors  always  live  at  a  distance. 

We  are  told  by  a  certain  professor  whose  genius 
in  generalizing  is  unquestioned,  that  we  shall  be- 
come a  nifingrel  race  and  lose  all  those  qualities 
which  have  made  us  virile,  intelligent  and  resource- 
ful. 

Others  tell  us  that  we  shall  become  a  super  race, 
inheriting  the  virtues  (jf  all  these  people  who  mingle 
with  us;  that  we  shall  surpas:,  every  other  nation 
in  strength  and  talents. 

I  am  frank  to  say  that  I  do  not  know  what 
will  happen.  The  effects  of  intermarriage  are  im- 
perfectly understood  and  we  have  no  reliable  data; 
but  I  am  not  a  believer  in  the  immutability  of  race. 
I  stand  between  Chamberlain's  Rcussc  ist  Allcs,  and 
Finot's  Rassc  ist  Xichts.  My  own  obsen-ation 
has  led  me  to  believe  that  nothing  serious  happens 
when  a  child  has  in  its  veins  a  mi.xture  of  Latin 
and  Saxon  blood,  and  that  Slavic  and  Semite  mix- 


CHAIR  OF  APPLIED  CHRISTIANITY     827 

lures,  and  others  too,  have  produced  normal  chil- 
dren. 

I  have  found  that  in  the  blending  of  races  which 
is  taking  place  between  the  older  and  the  newer 
immigrant  groups,  th-  Irish  are  a  dominant  fac- 
tor ;  fo  ii  every  intermarriage  between  Irish  and 
Italian.  Irish  and  German.  Irish  and  Jewish,  their 
children  show  Irish  characteristics. 

In  each  case  which  has  come  under  my  observa- 
tion, I  recognized  in  the  children  of  these  mixed 
marriages,  Irish  features  and  temperament.  I 
can  say  this  with  some  degree  of  assurance,  for 
my  studies  have  carried  me  to  all  parts  of  the 
United  States,  and  wherever  there  is  intermarriage 
between  different  immigrant  groups  I  have  made 
accurate  observations. 

There  are  many  marriages  between  Jews  and 
Gentiles  which  are  childless;  it  is  difficult  to  tell 
whether  this  fact  has  a  racial  or  m.erely  a  social  or 
economic  cause  back  of  it.  Where  there  are 
children  there  is  no  special  accentuation  of  type, 
except  that  the  Semitic  invariably  l)ecomes  reces- 
sive, which  no  doubt  is  due  to  psychological  rather 
than  physical  reasons. 

I  have  seen  no  abnormalities  developed  as  a 
result  of  these  mixtures,  although  I  have  seen  in- 
dividuals whose  blood  contained  anywhere  from 
t•v«^  to  ffiyrte^n  so-called  racial  elements. 


328 


FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 


While  tlic  generations  which  are  to  follow  us 
are  hound  to  be  the  result  of  various  kinds  of  inter- 
marriage, my  opinion  is, that  although  they  will 
be  somewhat  intensified,  they  will  be  an  American 
type,  in  whose  shaping,  environment  will  play  a 
larger  part  than  inherited  race  qualities. 

I  have  pointed  out  those  specific  forces  which 
are  making  the  immigrant  both  inwardly  and  out- 
wardly an  American,  and  which  ultimately  will 
assimilate  him.  Let  me  mention  some  of  the  en- 
vironmental causes  of  his  Americanization. 

Climate,  no  doubt,  is  to  be  considered,  and  as 
this  continent  is  so  arranged  that  there  are  but  few 
climatic  pockets,  and  practically  the  whole  of  it  is 
under  the  dominance  of  the  same  erratic  weather 
changes, — it  will  work  upon  Slav,  Latin  and  Semite 
precisely  as  it  has  worked  upon  Celt,  German  and 
Anglo-Saxon.  Unless  some  permanent  atmos- 
pheric ciiange  takes  place,  or  some  process  is  in- 
vented by  which  the  ozone  may  be  extracted  from 
the  air,  or  a  trust  be  formed  to  exploit  it,  the  cli- 
mate may  be  counted  a  regular  part  of  this  pro- 
ceeding. 

The  quality  and  quantity  of  food  have  something 
to  do  with  it.  As  long  as  from  ocean  to  ocean  we 
tat  bread  made  from  the  same  flour  and  meat  does 
not  rise  so  much  in  price  that  it  cannot  be  used 
daily;  as  long  as  prep:. red  );rcakfast  foods  continue 


CHAIR  OF  APPLIKD  CHRISTIANITY     329 

to  be  persistently  advertised,  the  factor  of  diet  will 
remain  a  lasting  one;  although  the  inability  to 
keep  a  proper  balance  between  the  higher  cost  of 
living  and  the  lessened  purchasing  value  of  wages, 
may  disturb  this  important  element  in  assimila- 
tion. 

Economic  opportunity,  as  a  whole,  has  had  a 
very  decided  effect  upon  the  immigrants,  many  of 
whom  have  here  their  first  chance  to  obtain  a 
margin,  or  surplus ;  new  needs  are  created,  a  higher 
standard  must  be  maintained,  p.nd  a  fresh,  power- 
ful stimulus  is  introduced  into  the  life  of  the 
stranger. 

Here  exists  the  greatest  danger  of  the  retarda- 
tion of  the  process;  for  whatever  it  be  which  tends 
to  diminish  this  economic  opportunity  hinders 
Americanization. 

The  paying  of  a  good  wage,  thus  making  it 
possible  for  the  new-comer  to  rise  to  a  higher  plane 
of  living,  may  be  a  greater  patriotic  duty  than 
teaching  men  the  obligations  of  citizenship,  or 
providing  for  their  recreation  or  even  their  educa- 
tion. 

Outside  these  environmental  influences  which 
have  worked  more  or  less  automaticali '.  I  have 
been  pleading  for  a  strengthening  of  the  c..'  power 
which  I  have  found  most  active  in  shaping  and 
reshaping,  not  only  my  own  life,  but  the  lives  of 


I 


330  FROM  ALIEN  TO  CITIZEN 

others.    The  Spirit  of  Democracy,  which  basically 
IS  a  supreme  confidence  in  man. 

We  who  have  come  out  of  the  Old  World  weari- 
ness, its  pessimism  and  distrust,  have  received  here 
a  sort  of  general  indulgence  or  pardon,  as  if  God 
tlirough  His  High  Pnest.  the  people,  had  said:  "  I 
wdl  blot  out  your  transgressions."  Here,  indeed, 
we  are  not  only  pardoned;  we  receive  a  new  birth 
as  miraculous  as  that  which  puzzled  the  inquiring 
Nicodemus. 

That  which  separates  the  Old  World  from  the 
New  is  not   the  Atlantic   Ocean,   but   something 
broader  and  deeper-it  is  this  sense  of  confidence 
in  our  fellowmen.    As  I  recall  my  experiences  and 
have  those  of  others  revealed  to  me.  I  seem  to  be 
hvmg  the  life  of  a  mulftude.     It  is  this  which 
awes  mc  and  almost  overcomes  me.     That  here 
without  other  tests,  or  proofs,  or  documents,  than 
our  own  humanity,  we  arc  admitted  to  the  coun- 
try's privileges,  to  citizenship,  to  the  "  fellowship 
with  the  saints.-    I  value  this  confidence  so  greatly 
that  I  have  set  my   face  against  anv  and  all  of 
those  tendencies  which,  in  this  age.  seen-  io  ready 
to  disturb  it. 

I  oppose  Anti-Semitism  and  Anti-Catholicism, 
the  Anti-Japanese  agitation,  or  whatever  ill  feeling 
masses  its  hate  and  lings  it  upon  all  those  who 
happen  to  be  born  of  a  certain  faith  or  people. 


A  (;r.i\ii-;i:  in  |-, ,  otk  i.i\i\, 


-K<H)\I 


1 


A  \  ILU    (11    niK  .SI  I  uv 


CHAIR  OF  APPLIED  CHRISTIANITY     S31 

These  antagonisms  I  have  fouglit  and  shall  fight 
with  all  the  lite  and  love  I  have  to  put  int  >  the 
battle. 

My  great  hope  is,  that  here  tl  e  Chri  'an  Cluirch 
will  perform  again  the  miracle  she  wrought  in 
those  virgin  years;  tliat  of  binding  together  Jew, 
Greek  and  Barbarian,  bond  m  1  free.  Slu-  can 
do  it,  if  she  regain-,  b.er  I"(  iii<'er's  confidence  in 
humanity. 

Unfortunately  the  "hurch  or  churches  still  har- 
bour historic  quarrels  anu  breed  new  dissensions; 
certainly  they  do  not  weaken  age-old  prejudice^. 

The  Church  must  learn  to  interpret  her  quarrel- 
ling councils  as  well  as  her  religious  struggles  and 
wars  in  the  broad,  twentieth  century  spirit.  She 
is  still  in  danger  of  confounding  Judas  with  Juda- 
ism, the  inquisition  with  Catholicism,  and  the 
barbarous  iconoclasm  of  the  seventeenth  century 
with  Protestantism. 

I  have  never  stood  for  any  one  kind  of  prop- 
aganda by  which  to  disseminate  her  faith,  but  I 
firmly  believe  her  one  weapon  must  be  a  renewal  of 
the  Christ  Spirit;  for  in  that  spirit  alone,  can  she 
conquer. 

I  am  still  in  the  thick  of  my  battle.  It  i.^  a  glory 
to  fight  against  hate  and  gross  injustice:  against 
the  Anti-American,  Anti-Christian  spirit  of  race 
and  religious  prejudice. 


332 


FROM  ALIFA'  TO  CITIZFA* 


If  to-morrow  my  part  in  the  batilc  cmls.  I  shall 
thank  {j.x!  for  the  share  I  liavc  had  in  it  thus  far. 
I  shall  thank  (iod  tor  the  way  lie  lia>  led  me  into 
it;  throujrh  hunj,ar.  lidinelessness  and  loneliness; 
the  drndpery  of  work,  the  panys  of  poverty  and 
even  the  tires  of  ahliction. 

If  I  am  to  be  kept  in  the  strupple.  then  for  each 
day  of  it  new  thanks;  nor  do  I  ask  that  the  wind 
be  tempered,  the  floods  assitaged.  or  the  fires 
cooled;  just  this  one  thing  I  ask:  That  I  keep 
faith  unto  the  end. 

And  when  the  end  comes  I  shall  say  with  my 
last  breath,  that  which  tlirills  my  whole  frame  with 
an  unearthly  joy : 

Thank  God  for  the  Christ, 
Thank  (jckI  for  America, 
Thank  God  for  humanity. 


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